A Ghost of A Titan
by Bored-sama
Summary: A green shape-shifter. An alien girl. A half demoness. A youth who is more machine than flesh. The Dark Knight's Protege. And a lonely half ghost, with more secrets than most. Will they pull together, or fall apart? Rewrite! Rated M to be safe. *I don't own the cover-art*
1. Humble Beginings

**Humble Beginnings**

On a lonely road in the middle of nowhere stood a young teenager. A baggy, tattered grey hoodie adorned his thin frame, hood up as if to hide him from the world. Black jeans adorned his bottom half, complete with black combat boots. Above him the sky darkened as clouds gathered, rumbling in quiet discontent. Raising his eyes to the sky, the young man watched as a single bolt of lightning illuminated the night sky.

"Looks like rain." A voice, as soft as a whisper, escaped from his mouth even as his lips curled in a thin smile. He liked the rain. There was something about it, something calming about feeling the soft touch of raindrops across his face. Lowering his hood, he closed his eyes and let the first few drops hit his face.

As the water streaked down his face, he gave a sigh of contentment. Life on the run had taught him many hard lessons but it was times like these that reminded him how important it was to stop and enjoy the little things, where he could. As he stood enraptured in his revere, he never noticed that his feet had begun to carry him forward once more. Never noticed how dirt gave way to concrete, or the car that he was now in the path of. It wasn't until the driver sounded the horn that he snapped out of it, eyes locked on the incoming headlights.

In the heat of the moment, instinct won over reason.

* * *

Brittany gave a tired sigh, eyes focused wearily on the road. She was an assistant to a business executive, and a sorely underpaid assistant at that. Her boss had business a few cities over and had need of her. And like the good underpaid assistant she was, she had come running.

"Fucking asshole." She grumbled, still wondering why her boss had refused to pay for a plane ticket and instead insisted she drive. "Oh, don't be like that Brittany. It isn't that far, you'll likely get there before I do. Dick." She shook her head, taking a moment to rub her eyes to ward off sleep.

It was for that reason that she didn't see that there was someone in the road until it was too late. Eyes wide, she screamed and honked the horn. Not having it in her to see the impact, she closed her eyes and waited.

But it never came. Seconds past with nothing. Peaking between her eyes, she slowed to a stop and pulled to the side. She looked once at the front of the car, then back at the road behind her. Neither showed any sign of impact with anyone. A quick glance further revealed that there was no one there that she could have hit anyway.

"Great! Now I'm seeing things!" Lamented Brittany, even as she slowly pulled back out into road. Wide awake now, she put the strange incident behind her and continued on, content to resume ranting to herself about her cheap boss.

* * *

"Fuck." Shaking his head, he loosened his grip on his ghostly powers and allowed himself to fade into visibility once more. "So stupid. God damn it." He face-palmed, moving quickly out of the road as he did. Sliding to the ground, he took a moment to breathe. _'What if… no.'_ He shook his head again, fighting off paranoia. No way that lady went to the police about the strange, disappearing person she'd nearly hit. And even if she did, she'd be laughed out the door. There would be no report on it. And even if there was, no way it got as far as the Guys in White. No way. "Right?" He asked out loud, blue eyes turned up to the unforgiving sky.

The only answer was the soft patter of the rain.

His feet started carrying him forward once more, doing his best to fight off the growing sense of unease. Stopping to inspect a sign, he managed to force a chuckle at the contents. _'So stereotypical.'_

"Welcome to Jump City." Shaking his head, Danny Fenton let his feet carry him past the sign and toward the city. Despite the sign, he certainly didn't feel very welcome. But then, these days it was rare that he ever was.

* * *

Far, far away from the young halfa was another hooded figure. Unlike his similarly clothed counterpart however, this one was large. With a physique that lead to him being close to twice the size of most people and a certain sense of anger in his step, people on the sidewalk moved quickly to get out of his way as he walked.

' _Where the hell am I even going anyway?'_ He asked himself bitterly, having no answer.

He stopped, giving a tired sigh. He wasn't sure how long he'd been going, but the sense that he hadn't really managed to get anywhere was prominent in his mind.

"Hey mister, you ok?" The voice of a child, full of innocence, reached his ears. Head bowed, he sighed again. He knew what came next.

Timmy was a curious and kind boy, always asking questions about the world around him. So, when he saw a large man standing in the middle of sidewalk and give a sigh like he was full of naught but sadness, he had to know why. Maybe he could help?

But when the stranger slowly turned his head to look at the boy, an action which came strangely with the sound of creeking metal, he wished he hadn't gotten his attention.

For while he could see that the stranger had one normal brown eye, where the other should be all Timmy could see was an ominous red light and the light sheen of polished metal.

Timmy did the only thing that seemed natural. With his pants significantly wetter now, he let a scream and ran away. Away from the sad stranger with the strange, sad eyes.

Victor Stone watched him go almost numbly. He was so used to that reaction now that it didn't affect him. All he felt now was anger. Anger at the world for his lot in life, his father for saving his life but turning him into this half metal monstrosity, or himself for the once bright future that would be now forever closed to him.

Angry at metallic and cold hands, which could no longer feel.

He didn't know really. All he knew was the urge to punch something. Securing his hood in place to protect against the coming rain, he continued walking. It was all he felt like he could do now, really. Unless he found something to punch.

* * *

Garfield Logan, better known to the world as Beast Boy, sighed in boredom. Crouched in the corner of a hotel room, he stared out into space. Lost in thought as he mindlessly bounced a ball against the wall. _'What now?'_

He'd arrived in the city a few hours ago. And in that time, he'd done nothing more than get some food, a rubber ball to amuse himself with, and a hotel room.

Which was where he found himself now, haunted by the memories of his former mentor's last words. About how he wasn't fit to be a member of the Doom Patrol, much less a hero. _'What do I do now?'_

He wished he could easily just shake off the man's words and move on, but it was proving easier said than done.

He'd done the right thing, of that he was certain. Or at least, that's what he wanted to believe.

He let out a sigh. Bringing his hand up, he clenched his fist. With a thought, he could assume the form of any animal, big and small. Extinct or not. _'Am I really supposed to just do nothing with this? Just go on and try to live a normal life?'_

His parents had believed what he could do was a gift, not just a freak medical accident. They'd believed in him, helped him to learn about and control his abilities as best he could.

He could still see their proud faces, when he'd finally managed to get his transformations under control. And he remembered the sadness he'd felt when he heard they were gone.

They believed he could do good with what he could do.

' _And they weren't wrong.'_

Determination filled him. He didn't need the Doom Patrol. All he needed was to believe in himself. He might still wear their purple and black uniform but starting now he was free of them.

Opening the window, he put on his mask and took the form of a hawk. _'You're wrong, Mento.'_ Was his last thought as he began an aerial patrol of the city.

After all, nothing was stopping him from going solo and Jump City was the perfect place to start.

* * *

Somewhere near the center of Jump City, in a grimy back alley, a slow wind began to pick up. As it did, the shadows in the area began to shift, pooling in a small circle on the ground and started to grow. Runes appeared at its outermost edges as the circle grew even larger, slowly beginning to orbit around it.

Spinning faster and faster, they suddenly stopped and flashed white. With a sound like thunder, a bright light flashed at the center of the circle.

And just like that, the whole thing faded. Standing where the center of the circle _had_ been was now a young teenage girl.

Wearing a blue cloak held together by red gem in a gold setting, she opened her eyes slowly. _'So… this is Earth.'_

She breathed in, noting the musky city air. Taking in her surroundings, she frowned in distaste. "Azarath is so much cleaner." She murmured, sighing with a shake of her head. The action made her hood fall dawn, revealing ashen skin and purple eyes, with short purple hair and a red gem embedded in her forehead.

Still, it would do. "As long as I can get away from _him_." She reminded herself, pulling up her hood to ward off the coming rain.

Besides, no one knew who she was here. No one knew she was a half demon from another dimension who was fated to play a key part in destroying the world. Maybe she could even do some good here, before it all ended.

She left the alley behind her, leaving behind no evidence she had ever been there. Scanning her surroundings and noticing the odd looks she was getting for her clothing, she decided to just go with the crowd for now. It was the only option she had, until she learned more about this strange and alien place she had found herself in.

* * *

Jump City was a rather big city. While it was nowhere near the size of places like Gotham or Metropolis, it was still big. _'Perfect.'_

Standing on top of one of the city's tallest skyscrapers stood a young teen. Many would recognize him easily as the Boy Wonder himself, Robin. Right hand of the Dark Knight, and vital member of the dynamic duo that haunted the nightmares of the criminals of Gotham. Clad in the advanced red, yellow, and green body armor that had been bestowed on him so many years ago, his visage was unmistakable. Even the black and white domino mask which hide his eyes.

As he scanned the city below him, a grin soon broke out across his face. He couldn't help it; this place was full of opportunity. It was, as he'd observed, big. But that wasn't what brought him here. As far as his investigation had revealed, it was home to no heroes and had a crime rate that meant it could certainly use one. Which was where he came in.

It was the perfect place to prove that he could do what he did best without the Batman looking over his shoulder.

As he stood there, he felt a few drops of water on his head as it began to rain. It reminded him that there was still a _lot_ of work to do. Namely, where to place his things for the night. Turning, he went to grab his duffle bag when he heard a nearby scream.

Stashing his things in a nearby vent, he was off towards the source of it. The sooner he made his presence in the city known, the sooner he could get out from underneath the Bat's long shadow.

* * *

Far outside of Earth's atmosphere was a Gordianian prison ship. They weren't there to make trouble, far from it. They knew better than to earn the ire of the Justice League, Earth's legendary protectors.

No, they were just passing through. Transporting prisoners to the Citadel, where they would be broken and forced to serve as slaves. Or at least they were trying to. Currently the ship was in chaos, lizard-like humanoids clad in armor and carrying high-tech laser guns rushing this way and that. Explosions were going off as parts of the ship were destroyed in a pitched battle Their most valuable and _dangerous_ prisoner had escaped her cell, and now they needed to subdue her.

Easier said done, as Koriand'r, the warrior princess of the proud race of Tamaraneans, wasn't going down without a fight. She, like many of her race, had green eyes with light-green scleras, orange skin, and long fiery red hair.

Clad in a black and metallic grey outfit, even with her hands restrained by cuffs which covered her entire lower arm she was a force to be reckoned with.

Her movements were naught but a blur as she struck this way and that, delivering quick and powerful blows to her opponents. This was her chance! She had been bidding her time since she had been captured, waiting until they were close enough to a planet that she could escape to. Now all she needed to do was hijack an escape pod, get these cuffs off, then she'd have a chance.

"You'll never escape!" Roared one of them to her right, raising his weapon to fire. He never got a chance, as she smashed her hands into his face and pushed him to the ground.

With him out of the way, she quickly dove into the empty escape pod, smashing the launch button on her way in.

The doors closed quickly, earning screams of rage from her former captors as they fruitlessly banged on the doors. Koriand'r smirked, sticking her tongue out at them in a childish display of victory. Further explosions rocked the ship, evidence that her battle with the Gordianian's had done quite a bit of damage.

' _Hopefully that should stop them from being able to pursue me immediately.'_ Koriand'r thought, sliding down to relax. The pod had no controls, or at least none that she could see. Still, the rockets on the side carried her faithfully toward the green and blue planet below. She'd let the pod carry her to the planet and bear the brunt of reentry, then ditch it hallfway through. No doubt they'd be tracking it, so she wouldn't use it any more than needed.

The Tamaranean looked down, eyeing the thick restraints that still held her. _'As soon as I land these have got to go.'_ She'd done well on the ship, but that was because they were caught off guard and were uncoordinated, their large numbers making it difficult to fight in such an enclosed space.

On Earth, they'd have no such handicaps. They'd be prepared and ready. If she wanted to have any chance at all, then she needed to get these cuffs off. Whatever it takes.


	2. The Alien

**The Alien**

Danny walked around the city cautiously, blue eyes darting this way and that. He forced himself to walk with a slouch, hoping it would make it harder for anyone to tell it was him. He'd learned the hard way, caution paid off.

Of course, given how far he was from the last place he'd encountered the Guys In White, it was likely redundant. Coupled with the measures he had taken to make his movements hard to track and one could say that his caution was more like paranoia.

But paranoia was good. Paranoia kept him free.

He gave a quick glance around, making sure there were no cameras or people that could see him, before allowing himself to dip into his ghostly powers. Invisible and intangible, he slipped into the back of a military surplus store with practiced ease. Luckily the store was closed and empty, leaving him free to peruse to his heart's content. His goal was simple.

Out of all his features, the one that stood out the most was his eyes. Or at least, that was what he thought. Bright blue eyes, which shifted to a glowing green if he was using his ghost powers. Or glowed an icy blue, if he was using his ice powers. If could find something to conceal those, it would go along way to staying hidden from the Guys In White.

' _Bingo.'_ He grinned, though no one could see it. If anyone had been looking, they would have watched a pair of shaded black goggles disappear into thin air. Slipping them on, he took a moment to adjust the fit before looking around the store to see how well he could see.

It limited his vision by a very small amount, though just by the edges. Other than that, it was fine. His eyes were supernaturally good enough to see in almost any conditions, goggles or not.

Humming a cheerful tune in his head, he was about to phase out of the store when a few more items caught his gaze. Cocking his head to the side, he debated long and hard just how much he should help himself to.

As it was, he hated stealing. While he was unnaturally gifted for it, it still felt wrong. Like something another, less savory version of him would do easily and without a second thought. Still, he had no choice. He couldn't risk buying it normally, and he'd quickly learned that he couldn't even leave enough money behind to cover his pilfered goods. That was what had lead to him getting recaptured, the second time at least.

" _Oh Danny. Ever the hero, the good guy. That's why no matter where you run or how hard you hide, I'll always find you. Because I know you, and you are so easily predictable."_

He shook his head, banishing _her_ voice back to the darkest recesses of his mind and fighting off the slow panic that threatened to overtake him. _'You don't know me. Not anymore.'_ Mind made up, he took the time to help himself to a few more things. After all, never hurt to change his outfit completely.

His outfit change took him into clothing store right next door as well. Luckily, the only person there was a pimple faced teen playing on his phone at the register. He was none the wiser when a few things sudden vanished off the shelf.

Phasing back out of the army surplus store, he tossed his old clothes in an empty trash can nearby. Taking a moment to pop back in to swipe a lighter, he tossed that in as well to burn his old clothes. _'Hopefully they'll burn well enough. I'm just lucky the storm moved on.'_ Idly he considered seeing if he could grab something out of any of the stores nearby to help them burn before writing it off. That was just about enough theft for one day. Business finished, he walked out of the alley, pausing only to glance at his reflection in a nearby puddle.

New, black combat boots with grey laces adorned his feet. He'd replaced his pants with black, cargo pants. He'd replaced his baggy grey hoody with a dark grey form fitting one, with white lines on the sides of the arms. Over that he wore a form fitting black vest. On his hands were simple, black leather gloves. And of course, the goggles covered his eyes.

' _Hopefully this doesn't stand out too much.'_

Then he saw a young man walk by with his pants around his knees, underwear full on display. Beside him was a woman whose outfit was completely normal, save for the denim knee-high boots. _'…then again, maybe it would stand out if there wasn't anything unusual about it at all.'_

Pulling up his hood, he began humming a peaceful tune again as he let his nose guide him to the closest pizza place.

* * *

Danny licked his lips, enjoying the taste of cheesy goodness on his tongue. Leaning back in his chair, he surveyed the room.

He'd debated with himself for a good ten minutes before walking in. The place had no cameras, that he could find. No one in there really stood out in the crowd as someone who needed to be avoided. The crowd was also a big part of the appeal. As packed as this place was, what was another face in the crowd?

Now he was glad that he did. There was something relaxing about sitting down to enjoy a meal. It was a pleasure he'd rarely allowed himself to enjoy. Still, he wasn't entirely relaxed. Even as he munched on his pizza, his back was to a window he could easily break and use to escape, and he had his eyes glued on the entrance.

He wouldn't be caught again.

A crashing sound right outside the pizza place drew his attention immediately, the hair on the back of his head standing up. He forced himself to remain calm and eat his pizza, twitching slightly as he kept his eyes locked. _'GIW wouldn't give themselves away like that. It's not them, and not my problem.'_ Mind made up, he continued eating his pizza even as his ears picked up more screams and yells coupled with explosions.

' _Not my issue, not my issue, not my issue…'_ Danny kept repeating to himself, unaware that he had stopped eating entirely in favor of simply staring at the pizza in his hands with a blank look on his face. He couldn't get involved. It just couldn't happen. He'd tried that before and found out the hard way that if any of his brand of ghostly heroics was seen anywhere then it would be over. Didn't matter if it was caught on the news or by some kid recording it on his phone for YouTube.

The moment it hit the web, it was only a matter of time before the Guy In White found it, and were on his trail again. _'If they aren't already…'_

Another explosion sounded, this one much closer than before. He sighed, listening to the panicked voices of those around him as they began to get nervous. Able to look away no longer, he looked up to behold the carnage.

It was like a warzone had broken out in the middle of the city. Various smashed cars were scattered around the place, a few were burning. There was even an overturned bus further down the street, and craters lined the street where something very tough had been smashed against it. In the middle of it all were the obvious combatants.

On one side was someone who clearly wasn't human, with her orange skin and green sclera. Dressed in black and metallic grey armor, with a metallic head-piece framing her long fiery red hair and a strange sort of restraints which went from her elbow down to her hands. She would be beautiful, he mused, if it wasn't for the clear anger in her eyes and her lips twisted into an almost feral snarl.

And on the other side were 3 figures, only one which he recognized. His identity was obvious, given how famous he was. He'd seen him on the news, whenever he stopped to see it. It also helped that his outfit was rather strange, given its traffic-light color scheme. The teen was none other than Robin, Boy Wonder himself. He was dressed in his typical outfit of green tights with black ankle-high steel-toed boots, green elbow-high gloves, a short-sleeve green t-shirt underneath a red armored vest with a yellow letter "R" inside a black circle on the upper left of it, a yellow utility belt and a black cape with a yellow interior.

The other two weren't as easily recognizable. The first was a short, green skinned teen, with matching hair and eyes. He was wearing a purple and black suit, grey boots and gloves, and a ridiculous mask.

The last was the least distinctive of the three. Standing well above his companions, he wore a simple grey hoody with matching pants and shoes. From underneath the hood he could make out brown skin and what appeared to be a single red light coming from where one of his eyes should be.

' _Someone is going to get hurt.'_ Danny frowned as he watched the battle proceed. While it was clear that Robin at least was trying to direct the battle away from civilians, the other two were far more reckless. He watched as the hooded man grappled with the alien girl, lifting her off her feet and sending her flying into a nearby car, civilians mere feet away from it.

Even as the orange-skinned alien pulled herself out of the wreckage, the green one charged her, his form shifting into that of a green T-Rex as he did, and rammed her, sending her flying once more. Only this time…

"Shit." He cursed, diving to the ground as the strange girl crashed through the window and flew through where he had once been sitting. She crashed roughly into a pillar in the middle of the room, bending it nearly in half. Without a second to spare she was off again, flying to meet her opponents without a single concern for the destruction she had left in her wake.

Above him, the ceiling groaned dramatically, clearly destabilized by the damage done. Somewhere out in the crowd someone yelled "Everybody out, the ceiling could come down any second now!"

He sighed, pizza forgotten as he went to follow the crowd out when his ears picked up something. Above the mass of panicked voices and screams, he could hear the soft cry of a little girl. His eyes widened as he searched through the emptying pizza parlor, searching for the source. As the crowd thinned he found it.

Near the point of impact on the pillar, a bit of the ceiling had already fallen and trapped the leg of a brown-haired girl. She screamed for help, her little arms tugging with as much strength as they could to get free.

Danny's eyes darted this way and that, silently begging someone, _anyone_ to hear her and come to her aid. Yet over all the sounds outside, the screaming and chaos, no one did.

The ceiling creaked again, cracks spreading through it ominously. It was clear that any second now it would cave in, crushing the remaining two occupants who remained inside. Danny would be alright. Even in human form, it would hurt but he would survive it. But the girl…

The halfa felt his breath catch in his throat, as time seemed to slow to a standstill. He knew what would happen to girl, if he didn't act. But he also knew what would happen if he _did_. For what seemed like an eternity he stood there, locked in debate with himself. Scenarios played in his head of all the branching futures he knew this could lead to. With a sort of morbid curiosity, he noted that they all started and ended the same way. They all started with him saving the girl, and they all ended with the Guys In White recapturing him for their horrific experiments. He sighed, realizing that despite the debate, he couldn't even see himself _not_ saving the girl.

As the ceiling finally began to give way, he dashed with inhuman speed toward the girl and grabbed her hand. She looked at him, tears streaming down her face and eyes full of fear. Dipping into his ghostly powers once more, he let intangibility cover them both like cool blanket.

As the ceiling reached them, falling through harmlessly as they lay protected by his power, he couldn't help but laugh at it all.

' _Guess I haven't changed as much as I thought, eh Sam?'_

* * *

Robin panted, hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. Beside him, his new companions were in a similar position as they all took cover behind an overturned bus. The fight had started to seem like it had started to go in their favor, at least until part of those strange cuffs had broken away to reveal the alien's hands. Almost immediately she made a fist and pointed her arms at them like cannons, green energy covering her fist.

Years of experience fighting super-powered enemies told the Boy Wonder exactly what would happen next as he quickly dodged behind the bus she'd thrown at him earlier, just in time to avoid the hail of green energy bolts that flew from the girl's hands at the speed of bullets fired from a machine gun. More explosions sounded around him, and he watched with narrowed eyes at the devastation.

"Girl's gonna wreck the whole city at this rate." The low voice of hooded man near him caught his ears, and he narrowed his eyes.

This was it. His first big fight without the Batman. He couldn't afford to lose this one. "No, she won't. I won't lose this fight!" He declared, fist in his palm and eyes lit with determination.

"Uhh… guys?" The green changeling had poked his head when the explosions had stopped, eyes wide and focused to where the alien girl had stood. Following his gaze, the Boy Wonder was surprised at what he saw.

It was hard to see due to all the smoke kicked up, but he could vaguely make out that someone else had joined the fray. Whoever they were, they had managed to force the alien girl's arms to the side so that they were pointed at the ground. The rain of green bolts that had formerly rained over the city now hammered into the ground instead.

Robin raised an eyebrow. From his fight with her, he could tell whoever this girl was that she commanded quite a bit of strength. That this stranger could force her arms to the side like that was no small feat. _'Just who are you?'_

* * *

Danny grunted, dipping deeply into his supernatural strength to keep the red-head's arms where they were. "Sorry lady." He grunted, unsurprised at the slight echo in his voice. While he hadn't assumed his ghost form, using this much of his power gave his voice a slight echo. "But I just can't stand by and watch you wreck the city." He gave what he hoped was a friendly smile. "I mean, I know you're a red-head but surely that doesn't mean you have to be a hothead, too right? Give it a chance and I'm sure the city will apologize for whatever it did to you."

The girl snarled, inches from his face. She growled something under her breath in a language he didn't understand, then in a sudden burst of strength he felt his feet leave the ground as she pushed him off her, sending him flying into the bus with enough force to leave him firmly embedded into it.

Pulling himself free, he landed on his hands and knees. "Ugh, note to self. It isn't a good idea to get hit by angry super powered red heads."

"Sound advice." Beside him, Robin landed lightly on his feet and offered him a hand.

Danny stared at it for a moment, before deciding to take it. "Thanks." Robin simply nodded, turning back to their opponent. With Beast Boy beside him and the large African American coming around the bus, they were ready to begin round two.

Robin glanced at his new apparent comrades, giving each a nod as a sign of silent understanding. If they didn't get in his way, then there was no harm in having some help against such a difficult opponent. As one they started to charge the orange-skinned girl…

… only to be stopped from taking more than a few steps by a raven, made from pure black energy, rising out of the street. It gave a loud screech, then disappeared just a quickly as it had come.

"Maybe… fighting isn't the answer." Murmured a calm, female voice behind him.

Danny turned, narrowing his eyes at the sight of a girl wearing a blue cloak that _certainly_ wasn't there moments ago. She looked at them cautiously, and with his enhanced eyesight the ghost child could just make out ashen skin, violet hair, and deep purple eyes underneath her hood.

Robin frowned, considering the new-comer's words. "… Stand down." He commanded, glancing at his companions.

While the green teen gave an obedient salute, the large man stepped forward. "What, you think you are the boss of me short stuff?"

"Just give me a chance to try something." Robin replied easily, already walking forward to the still alien girl.

Danny rolled his eyes, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, but she kills you don't blame me."

Robin ignored them, slowly walking forward toward the red-head. Apparently, all the fighting had taken more out of her than she'd let on, as she lay crouched on the ground and out of breath. Still, she wasn't out of it yet, and when she heard Robin's footsteps approaching she quickly pointed her hands at him and narrowed her eyes.

Even as green energy surrounded her fists, Robin raised his hands. "Hey, its ok. I'm not going to hurt you." He spoke in a soft, soothing voice. He knew that it was unlikely she understood what he was saying, but hopefully his tone would show that he no longer meant to harm her. "My name is Robin. I just want to help." He stopped walking, holding his hands up in surrender.

She yelled at him in that strange language from before, rising to stand once more and advancing slowly on the Boy Wonder. Yet even still, her stance wasn't as hostile as before.

Robin swallowed nervously as she got closer, her glowing hands now inches from his chest. He knew at that distance dodging was a pipe dream and he had no clue if his suit could take a hit from one of those bolts. He recalled how when he arrived she was just smashing those cuffs into anything she could find. _'Maybe she just wants these off…?'_

Steeling himself, he reached slowly into his utility belt and took out a few tools for lockpicking. He held them out, letting the girl have a good look at them before he slowly brought his hands down to the large cuffs still on her forearms. Aware that his every move was being watched closely, he went to work quickly on unlocking those cuffs. It might have been unlike any lock he'd ever seen, but he was the Batman's apprentice. Origins didn't matter, all locks were made to do the same thing. Working backward from that principal, he couldn't help but grin as the cuffs clattered to the ground.

Stepping back, he watched as the girl rubbed her now free wrists. "There, now maybe we can get to the bottom of-"

Whatever the Boy Wonder was going to say next was cuff off completely, as the first thing the red-head used her now free arms to do was grab both sides of his face and pull him in for a deep kiss.

Danny whistled. _'Gee, I would've phased her out of those cuffs myself if it meant I'd get a kiss like that.'_

Just as suddenly as it started however, it ended, and the red-head pushed Robin to the ground. Startled by the turn of events, he could only look up at her as she spoke in clear English. "If you wish not to be destroyed, then you will leave me alone!"

Warning delivered, she flew up high into the air and out of sight.

"So… I'm Beast Boy! What about you guys?" The self-proclaimed Beast Boy exclaimed cheerfully, looking toward his companions.

"Leaving." Danny replied curtly, turning to walk away. While Beast Boy certainly seemed friendly enough at least, he wasn't here to make friends. Now that the danger had passed it was best if he put some distance between him and this place. But then… _'The trouble with that girl likely isn't over.'_

He glanced back at the people assembled, even as they talked among themselves. _'And these idiots certainly can't be trusted to sort it out by themselves.'_

He managed to catch a few words as Robin started to walk away. "-find out if she's a threat."

The larger man snorted. "More like find out if she'll give him another kiss."

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that, drawing eyes his way. "Can you blame him? Up tight guy like him probably doesn't get many."

Robin stopped, glancing back at him with a frown. "I thought you were leaving?"

"So did I." Danny responded easily, matching his gaze. "But if you're planning on going after her, then I'm coming along."

"Ooh, team up?" Beast Boy raised his hand excitedly, jumping up and down and acting for all the world to see like a kid in a candy store. "Count me in!"

Robin shook his head, dismissing them with barely a thought. "Sorry, I just went solo. I'm not looking to join a team right now."

Beast Boy gave a dejected sigh. Turning to look at the cloaked girl and hooded men, he gave a friendly smile. "So, any chance you guys want to grab a pizza?"

Danny shook his head, his eyes still on the departing Robin. "Just ate, actually so..."

The girl shook her head. "I shouldn't." She offered no explanation as to why, instead simply turning to walk away without another word.

Beast Boy rounded on the last member of their little group. "So just you and me then?" The man didn't respond, ignoring him as he too started to walk away. Still, Beast Boy pressed on. "Cool! You play video games? You know, I haven't really had anyone to..." The more he talked, the faster he talked, chattering animatedly to the man in the solid grey hoody and completely ignoring the fact that he had yet to get a response of any kind from him.

Stopping suddenly, the man rounded on the green changeling, pulling down his hoody and growling. "There, take a good long look! I had an accident, and now I'm a monster! A Cyborg!"

Danny glanced back at the pair, getting a good look at the largest member of their group for the first time.

It was true. The self-proclaimed Cyborg wasn't your usual run of the mill human. His face was approximately half human, half cybernetics. Blue lines of circuitry glowed underneath the surface of his unnatural additions. And while his mouth, nose, and one of his eyes were human, the other and more than half of his head was replaced by those lines of hardware and circuitry. And by the way those lines ran all the way down his neck and out of sight, it was obvious that his head wasn't the only thing different.

And while Beast Boy's eyes widened in amazement, Danny scoffed.

Cyborg narrowed his eyes, rounding on the halfa. "What? You got something to say?"

Danny nearly rolled his eyes at the tough guy act. "Just that I've seen real monsters." He turned away, dismissing the half-metal man without a second thought. "And you?" Danny shook his head. "Please. You don't even come close."

Whatever Cyborg was going to say next, he didn't get a chance as the city was suddenly darkened in shadow. Flying just above them was a massive alien ship. It looked menacing, with several weapons easily visible. It flew straight over the city, coming to a stop on a small island in the nearby bay.

"Looks like space girl has friends." Cyborg observed, looking at the ship critically.

"Or enemies." The voice of Robin came up from behind them as the teen came to stand beside them.

Danny sighed."Don't suppose this is all just some big coincidence?" Even as he said it, he couldn't believe the words.

The ship fired a missile into the ground right below it. However, instead of exploding it simply dug itself into the ground. All was quiet for a moment.

Then a light shown from the exposed end of the sharp object, projecting a hologram onto the night sky of a creature who stood upright with a tale, covered in scales with human-like hands and blood red eyes on his face.

"Citizens of Earth!" It spoke, projecting its voice over the whole city. "We mean you no harm. We come here pursuing an escaped prisoner. A very _dangerous_ prisoner. Stay out of our way and we will leave your city with minimal damage. However…" The look in the lizard-man's face darkened. "Get in our way and your destruction will be _absolute!_ "

And with that ominous threat, the hologram faded. Danny gave a tired sigh. _'Great. No way this ain't making national news now, at least.'_

With his sharp eyes, he could just barely make out the doors on the ship opening and a horde of those same lizard-like creatures started pouring out, each one taking flight and heading toward the city. Beside him, Beast Boy whistled. "Those are some scary looking aliens."

"They told us not to interfere." Warned the girl from before, walking over to them with silent footsteps.

Cyborg eyed the look on Robin's face. "…you are still going after her, aren't you?"

Robin nodded, eyes locked on the approaching aliens.

"Can we come too?" Beast Boy asked, eyes full of hope.

Danny pointed at the ship and its former occupants, turning to lock eyes with the Boy Wonder. "Look, I don't care how big you think yours is. Just the red-head alone would've been a tall order. You really going to tell me you can take on a small army of those things alone?"

Robin sighed, considering his words. "I guess…" He groaned. He'd just left the team with Batman, and now he already had to team up again? _'Still… it's the right thing to do.'_

Robin nodded. "I guess I can team up, just this once."

Cyborg and Danny nodded, while Beast Boy jumped for joy. "Oh yeah!"

Satisfied, Robin turned to walk in the direction he'd seen the escaped prisoner going in, only this time Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Danny fell in step with him.

The girl watched them go, feeling hesitant to follow.

"Hey! You in?" Danny paused, noticing that the purple-haired girl hadn't moved from her spot.

She looked at him, then looked down, unable to hold his gaze. "I'm not the hero type." She turned to the side, looking at them out of the corner of her eyes. "And trust me, if you knew what I really was, you wouldn't want me around."

"Not the hero type?" Danny shook his head, disagreeing. "You spoke up and stepped in to help where others would've stayed silent and uninvolved. Sounds like a hero to me. And what you really are?" Danny walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder to have her face him. "Doesn't matter what you are. It's what you do that says the most about you, and what you did tells me all I need to know." He looked into her eyes as he said it, offering her a kind smile.

Slowly, the girl nodded, offering him a small, hesitant smile in return. She nodded, and side by side they slowly started to walk to where the others stood waiting for them.

Everything remained quiet for a moment, the only sound being that footsteps. The girl was the first to break it.

"My name is Raven." She spoke quietly, directing it more towards the group than any one person.

Danny hummed in thought. Obviously, it was his turn to give a name, but if word got out that someone was in Jump City who was capable of the things he was and called themselves Danny, then he may as well go ghost now and tell the GIW exactly where he was. _'If they don't know already.'_ He added darkly.

"My name is… Orpheus."


	3. A New Team

**Random question: Would you prefer it if I referred to Danny as Danny in the story, and just used Orpheus whenever others address him, or just keep doing as I'm doing now?**

* * *

 **A New Team**

"So, any thoughts on how we are going to find this chick?" Orpheus asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. They'd been walking for quite a while now with no sign of the destructive alien girl, and the sight of the alien ship looming ominously over the bay made him nervous. _'Almost wish it was ghosts.'_ He chuckled to himself. _'At least I know how to handle ghosts.'_

Robin frowned. Back in Gotham, working with Batman had given him access to a vast intelligence support network. It wasn't perfect, but it did make it very hard for anything big to happen in Gotham without the Dark Knight knowing about it. Now he had no such resources.

"Our girl likes to make some noise." Cyborg answered as he pulled back his sleeve, revealing a cybernetic arm with the same blue lines of circuitry. Even as he watched, part of it slid back, revealing a small black screen not unlike a heartbeat monitor "And I have a sonic analyzer built into my arm. Between that and her irregular heartbeat, get me close enough and I'll know right where she is."

"Maybe I can pick up her scent." Beast Boy said, sniffing the air as he turned into a bloodhound. He sniffed the ground for a few seconds before turning back up, triumphant. Letting out a howl, he took off down the street.

"Come on, looks like he's got it!" Robin cried, running after the ex-Doom Patrol member.

Beast Boy led them on a merry chase through the streets, darting this way and that. Eventually his path led him to a movie theater, with a fresh glowing red hole in the side. As Beast Boy turned human, Robin glanced at Cyborg in a silent question.

Cyborg nodded, pulling his sleeve down. "She's definitely in there."

"Why don't we split up?" Orpheus spoke up, glancing at each of them. "She wasn't too friendly last time we saw her. Last thing we want to do is surround her and make her feel backed into a corner."

"Wouldn't hurt to have someone covering the exits either, in case she bolts." Robin nodded. "Beast Boy, go cover the front. Cyborg, stay on this hole." He started walking in, calling back. "Orpheus, Raven, you're with me."

"Hold up." Orpheus glanced at Raven. "Are you good to go in there?" Raven raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "Look, no disrespect but I need to know you can handle yourself in a confined space with a super strong alien. I know they could," he said, waving around to their companions. "But I've yet to see what you can do."

Raven didn't know whether to be touched by his concern or annoyed. "I can handle myself." She replied airily, brushing past him to follow Robin into the hole.

" _Your concern is touching Danny but really, do you have to ask every time I go with you?" Sam smirked, brandishing a Fenton thermos. "Please. By now I'm almost as good at hunting ghosts as Val is."_

 _Danny chuckled, glowing green eyes meeting determined purple ones. "Doesn't mean much, when she's yet to catch her main target."_

" _And personally, I hope she never does." Tucker interjected, looking up from his PDA._

"Hey, you coming?" Robin's voice broke him out of his thoughts, as both he and Raven waited for him, one step inside a darkened theater.

Orpheus nodded, stepping after them as he shook off memories from a time long past. "Coming."

Insider the theater, it appeared completely empty. Laying about on the floor were various popcorn buckets and other such concessions. "Looks like everybody cleared out in a hurry." Robin observed, his ears picking up the sound of… eating? "Sounds like she's back here."

Rounding the corner, they happened upon the escaped prisoner. Her back was turned to them, hunched over the concession stands as her hands moved in a blur, shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she could eat it.

Orpheus whistled, dodging to the side to avoid an empty popcorn bag. "Damn, someone has worked up an appetite."

Dropping everything, the redhead rounded on the approaching teens, her hands engulfed in green energy. She approached slowly, letting out a low growl. "Whoa, whoa, easy there." Robin gave a nervous laugh, hands raised in surrender. "We're friends, right?"

"Friends?" The orange-skinned alien narrowed her eyes. "Why? For what purpose did you free me?"

"To stop you from smashing the city." Orpheus spoke up, stepping forward to stand next to Robin and meeting the alien prisoner's gaze easily. "At the rate things were going, people could've gotten hurt."

"And, you know, to be nice." Robin added, glancing at his hooded companion. Orpheus glanced back at him, and Robin hoped the teen could get the message he was trying to convey. _'We're after information, not another fight.'_

"Nice?" The alien frowned, rolling the word around on her tongue before shaking her head. "We do not have that word on my planet. Closest is **rutha** , _weak!_ "

"Sorry to hear it." Robin replied. "But either way, you do owe me for freeing you. So why don't you pay it back and tell us why those lizards took you prisoner."

Following his declaration was a tense silence. Orpheus shifted slightly, ready to dodge in a moment's notice if need be. Robin lowered his arms, discretely grabbing the handle of another bo staff under his cape. Behind them, Raven watched the scene carefully as the shadows around her seemed darken and shift.

The redhead sighed, the energy fading from her hands as she let her arms rest limply by her side. "Not prisoner." She murmured, drawing in on herself as she closed her eyes. "I am prize. The Gordanians were to deliver me to the Citadel to live out my days as their servant." She shivered, the fearful expression on her face showing exactly what she thought of that.

"And the Citadel is…?" Raven spoke up for the first time, touched by the sadness and fear she could feel coming from the alien girl.

The Tamaranean Princess gave the ashen-skinned girl a flat look. "Not nice."

"Then you aren't going with them. Not if I have anything to say about it." Robin punched his palm, face set with determination and mind made up.

"Hang on a minute." Orpheus raised an eyebrow. Grabbing Robin's shoulder, he pulled him aside. "You sure you are thinking with the right head there big guy?"

Robin scowled at him. "Slavery is against the law here, and that's exactly what this is." He turned to look at the girl, who had her eyes downcast to the floor as she thought about her fate. "Doesn't matter that she's not human. In these circumstances, our planet, our rules."

Orpheus nodded, trusting that the Boy Wonder knew much more when it came to intergalactic matters than he did. "Alright so, how do you want to play this?"

"Well-" Whatever the Boy Wonder was going to say next he got cut off by an explosion going off right next to them, knocking them both down. As the dust cleared, Gordanians's poured through the new opening, brandishing menacing looking spears. They quickly found their intended target as one of them shouted "There is the prisoner! Get her!"

Wasting no time, Robin brandished a bo staff and charged, cracking one of them over the head with one end, then used him as a spring board to jump over the rest. Taking to the air, the Tamaranean Princess charged straight through the group, using her arms to bat-away her would-be captors.

Chanting her mantra under her breath, Raven released some of her power to cover the nearby shelves in black energy. They rattled and creaked, tearing away from the wall to launch themselves at the group of aliens, knocking most of them clean off their feet. Closing her eyes, the young sorcerous let her soul-self cover her, disappearing in a mass of that same black energy as she teleported outside.

Orpheus cracked his knuckles, eyeing the remaining lizard men. "Don't suppose there is any chance I can convince you to just pack up and leave is there?" In response, one the Gordanian's pointed their spear at him as yellow energy gathered at the tip. Orpheus sighed. "Guessing that's a no?"

The Gordanian closest to him gave a feral grin even they fired directly at the halfa, kicking up another cloud of dust. "Arrogant human whelp." He shook his head, spitting in disgust. As the dust began to clear, his dull red eyes widened at the sight of a green shield protecting the boy.

"Arrogant, eh?" The halfa gave a feral grin of his own. Canceling his shield, he let a few ghost rays loose from his palms, knocking the remaining Gordanian's clear out onto the street. Stepping through the hole himself, he surveyed the ongoing battle.

Both the Tamaranean and Raven had taken to the air. The redhead was raining down those same green bolts on the Gordanian's fighting below, flying back and forth. Meanwhile, Raven had commandeered a stop sign, using it effectively to bat any of the lizard men that dared to take to the air as well. _'They make an effective team.'_ He mused, turning his attention to ground.

Both Beast Boy and Cyborg had arrived on the scene as well, the green changeling having taken on the form of an angry rhino as he charged head first into the pack. Cyborg meanwhile was grappling with their reptilian foes, easily overpowering them with moves he vaguely recognized from wrestling. _'But where's Robin?'_

Spying the Boy Wonder pinned by one of their foes, he jumped high into the air, landing to nail the Gordanian right on the head and knocking him out cold.

Robin simply gave him a nod, before leaping back into the fray. Orpheus smirked, letting a few more ghost rays fly from his palms. Doing a backflip to avoid a few blasts shot his way, he returned fire, running forward to throw a kick at another.

' _This is exhilarating!'_ He grinned, dodging between the swings of one of their scaly foes, then decked him right across the face. _'I'd forgotten how good it feels to get to stretch like this.'_

In no time at all they were retreating, picking their wounded off the street and flying back to the ship, tail tucked firmly between their legs.

The orange-skinned redhead turned to the Boy Wonder, offering him a hesitant smile. "I believe your expression is… thanks." Robin nodded, glancing around to make sure none were left to ambush them.

"Oh man, they wrecked my suit!" Lamented Cyborg, clutching the ragged remains of his hoody. He'd gotten sloppy at one point in the fight and accidentally let himself get hit by a barrage of blasts from the Gordanians. Luckily, the blasts weren't powerful enough to even scratch his powerful cybernetic body, but they had destroyed his clothing.

"Hey, look on the bright side." Orpheus smiled, his tone light. "At least you got out of it ok, right?

"Besides, you look way cooler with out it!" Beast Boy added, giving him a grin and a thumbs up.

Cyborg rolled his eyes, tearing off the remains of his ruined clothing. "Like I'm taking fashion advice from the guy in a goofy mask."

"Goofy?" Beast Boy blinked, surprised. He tugged at his mask experimentally. "My mask isn't goofy… right?" He asked, glancing at Raven and Orpheus.

Raven just shrugged, looking away. Orpheus chuckled nervously. "Well, I mean goofy isn't a world that you couldn't use to describe your mask..."

Beast Boy slumped to the ground. "But… but what about my secret identity…?" He whined pitifully.

"Gonna take more than a mask to hide that, my friend." Orpheus put a hand on the changeling's shoulder. "Sorry. With green skin and green animal forms, a mask alone is a bit pointless."

Beast Boy sighed, tugging off the mask dejectedly and stuffing it into his pocket.

Shaking his head, he turned to stand next to Robin, who's eyes were locked on the ship once more. "Let me guess, this isn't over is it?"

He shook his head. "While I do thank you for your assistance," The Tamaranean began, "I cannot help but fear that you have only made things harder for yourselves. Now that you've interfered…"

"Fools!" Cried out the voice of the Gordanian's leader, his image projected on the night sky once more. "You were warned. For your insolence, your city will be destroyed." As the hologram faded, parts of the ship folded away, revealing a massive energy cannon on its underbelly.

They all stared at it in solemn silence, silently aware that it was all their fault.

"But would he do it?" Orpheus frowned, looking at the alien girl. "I mean, you're his prize, right?" He jabbed a thumb at the ship. "And he knows now that you're in the city. Would he really risk losing his prize just like that?"

She shrugged. "I know not. While I am no doubt a very valuable prize, Trogaar also can't risk appearing weak before his troops by letting your offense against him go unanswered."

Robin waved it off. "Whether he would or wouldn't doesn't matter. That's not a risk we can afford to take." He nodded to the ship. "We need to find a way to sneak up there and disable that weapon. Any ideas?"

Raven cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. She averted her eyes, speaking nervously. "I might have something…"

* * *

Deep inside the Gordanian ship on a deserted corridor, 6 teens appeared in a flash of black energy.

Beast Boy shivered, hugging himself. "Man, that dark energy stuff gives me the.." Orpheus elbowed him in the ribs, gesturing toward the dark sorcerous who was watching him closely. "I mean, it's pretty cool." He gave her two thumbs up, forcing a smile.

Peeking around a corner, Robin waved them on when he saw that the coast was clear. "Come on, we have to get to the firing controls." He turned to their alien companion. "Do you know where they would be?"

She nodded, pointing further down the corridor. "This way."

"Wait." Orpheus paused, getting an idea. "Quick, everybody hold hands."

"Say what?" Cyborg eyed the young halfa. "Why?"

"Just trust me, ok?" Orpheus responded, offering the African American in front of him a hand. He stared at it for a moment, before taking. Extending his other hand behind him, it only took a moment before he felt a slim, feminine hand grab hold of it firmly.

Checking to make sure they were all linked up, he closed his eyes and concentrated. It took him a moment, having been awhile before he'd hid much else than him, but he was rewarded when he opened his eyes to look at the now empty corridor in front of him. Just in time too, as a group of Gordanian's passed by without a second look.

"Whoa…" Beast Boy let out the breath he'd be holding, taking a moment to look down at his now invisible body. "This is so cool…"

Orpheus shook his head. "Be amazed later, right now we need to move. Just remember, they can't see us but that doesn't stop any of their other senses."

"Right." Robin nodded to where he knew their Tamaranean was, tightening his grip on her hand. "Lead on."

As one, they slowly started going down the corridor once more, stopping only to hug the wall to let a group of Gordanian's run past every now and then.

"There it is." Murmured the red-head. "Just on the other side of the doors in front of us is the command room. The controls should be there."

Robin nodded, glancing to see if they were alone. "Alright, everybody stack up on the door. Here's the plan…"

* * *

Trogaar glowered down at the city underneath him, feeling disgust. _'Pathetic humans…'_ "Lord Trogaar," Began his second in command. "The weapon is fully powered."

"Good." He rumbled in reply. "Begin the firing sequence." He ignored the look he got in response, well aware of the repercussions for his actions. "This'll teach those six 'heroes' from resisting the might of Lord Trogaar!"

"Are you really referring to yourself in third person?" Trogaar turned to the voice, about to shout-out that they had intruders were it not for the gloved fist that smashed him across the face. "Look, I get that your supposed to be big bad stuff, but you have to admit how lame that is."

"And we aren't six heroes." A bo staff smashed across his chest, sending the already dazed Gordanian leader stumbling back. "We're one team!"

With that said, Robin jumped high in the air and let loose a dozen birdarangs. They found their targets easily, and explosions rang out in the room. Quickly everybody sprang into action, using the chaos to their advantage.

Hands alight with energy, Orpheus let a barrage of ghost rays go free from his hands, sending them to their alien targets with practiced ease. Taking a running start, he let his fist slam into the nearest Gordanian, his superior strength sending him flying across the room towards Cyborg.

Without missing a beat, the half-metal man grabbed a nearby computer console, ripping it out of the floor and used it to bat the flying Gordanian away. Throwing the remain of his make-shift bat to the ground, he ran forward to engage another in hand-to-hand.

Above the meele, the Tamaranean Princess flew circles around the room as she let star bolts rain down upon the fighters below. Beside her, Raven kept a close eye on the fight, using her magic to assist whenever it seemed like one of them was about to get in trouble. Weapons were ripped from the hands that held them, and the metal floor on which they fought twisted and turned unexpectedly to trip up their foes.

In the center of the room stood Robin and Beast Boy, eyes locked on the largest of the Gordanians. According to their redheaded friend, this was the leader, Trogaar. Wasting no time in exchanging threats, Beast Boy charged at the much larger Trogaar, his form shifting into that of a rhino and picking up speed.

Trogaar smirked cruelly, throwing out his hands and catching him by the horn effortlessly. "Is that it?" Lifting the rhino clean off his feet, he tossed him aside like a piece of garbage, sending him flying into Raven. Luckily for the half-demoness he shifted back to human form before impact, but it was still enough to leave them both dazed.

Jumping away from the Gordanian Leader, Robin let fly explosive pellets. Trogaar growled, raising one arm to protect his face as they landed at his feet, the world around him melting away to become naught but fire and smoke. Instincts born from a long life of clawing his way up the Gordanian hierarchy screamed at him, and he threw a punch to his right, grinning as he felt his fist meet the torso of the Boy Wonder, and the slight crack that followed as he was sent flying into an unsuspecting Tamaranean.

The smoke cleared, and Trogaar narrowed his eyes at the defeated forms of his subordinates. "Pathetic weaklings." He grunted, head jerking forward as he felt a metallic fist collide with his upper back. Turning slowly, he gave a wide-eyed Cyborg an unsettling grin. "Was that supposed to hurt?" Without waiting for an answer, he backhanded the half-metal man clean across the face and sent him stumbling back.

Pressing the advantage, he hammed blow after blow into his opponent, aiming for his joints in hopes it was a weak-spot and smiling at the sound of crunching metal. Finishing with a kick that sent Cyborg flying, he laughed at the sight of his opponents before him, beaten and broken.

"Is that it? Is this all Earth has to offer?" He scoffed, shaking his head even as Robin murmured low words under his breath to Cyborg, eying the mess of loose wires and broken circuitry that the African-American teen's arm had become with determination.

"You tell me!" Cried a voice behind him. Getting a running start, Orpheus jumped clear over the Gordanian leader, letting ghost rays free from his palm to rain down on him. Landing lightly on his feet, he nailed Trogaar in the stomach with a glowing green fist, driving the air clean from his lungs and driving him to his knees.

Smirking in triumph, he went to nail the scaled alien clean across the face. Trogaar recovered quickly though, catching his fist in his palm with a smirk of his own. Rising to his full height, Orpheus dangled helplessly from his palm. He chuckled darkly as his fingers tightened around the fist of the halfa, slowly crushing it.

Orpheus snarled, gritting his teeth to bite back a scream as sweat dripped down his face. But before he could focus on slipping into intangibility-

"Don't hurt him!" Raven yelled, hands raised and eyes alight with power. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

And then the world exploded in a fantastic display of light and shadow.

* * *

Orpheus sighed, enjoying the cool ocean breeze.

He, along with the other members of their impromptu team, had all woken up on that tiny island in the middle of the bay. With the pieces of the ship scattered around them, along with the occasional unconscious Gordanian, it was clear what happened.

' _It's a scary thought.'_ He mused, turning slightly to look at his cloaked companion. She stood quite a ways away from him, eyes looked down at the waves that lapped at their feet in quiet contemplation. _'To think she's got enough power to blow up a ship without breaking a sweat, not to mention protecting us from the explosion at the same time…'_

Raising an eyebrow, he watched as Beast Boy approached her from behind and began talking in his usual overly excited way. Moving his arms this way and that, it was clear he was quite passionate about whatever he was saying, even though he couldn't hear it. It must've been nice though, as from where he was he could see Raven offer the changeling a small smile. He didn't hear what she said in reply but judging by how Beast Boy seemed to get even _more_ excited and the look on her face it was clear she regretted it.

Behind him, he heard approaching footsteps. Turning, he gave Robin a nod of respect. After they had woken up, the Boy Wonder had quickly sprung into action. Contacting various government agencies, he'd arranged for the Gordanian's and their leader to be picked up from where they laid beaten and unconscious across the island. They were to be transported to a holding facility, where they would eventually be shipped off-world to stand on intergalactic trial for their actions.

Privately, he was rather proud of how calm he'd managed to stay when black suited G-men had arrived on the scene and briefly interviewed him and the others for their story. "So, what's the verdict?" He asked, nodded his head to where the alien girl who'd started all this was standing, talking to more G-men along with the local police chief.

Robin shrugged. "Slap on the wrist, basically. There were no casualties and any injuries were minimal." He jabbed a thumb at chief, a thin smile working its way onto his face. "Apparently he's got a daughter that looks to be around her age and, after hearing her story, that's all he has the heart to do."

Orpheus looked away for a moment, back toward the ocean. "Bet it helps having the Boy Wonder speaking out on her behalf too." He struggled to keep his voice even, although in his mind he couldn't help but see that brown-haired little girl, leg stuck and crying out for help as the world collapsed around her.

Robin remained quiet, focusing instead on the sunset in front of them.

"Hell of a view, isn't it?" Cyborg rumbled, approaching from the right where he'd been tinkering away on his cybernetic body with his fingers turned into various tools. Initially, when they woke, Trogaar was still going, although he was heavily injured. He'd been about to attack them in their disoriented state but was quickly incapacitated by Cyborg's new Sonic Cannon. "Somebody should build a house out here."

"That's not a bad idea." Robin replied, rubbing his chin in thought. Glancing at his companions meaningfully, he gave voice to an idea that had sprung to mind way back when they were working together to defeat the Gordanians. "You know, we worked together pretty well back there…"

"Oh please tell me you aren't saying what I think your saying!" Orpheus rolled his eyes, laughing. "Whatever happened to 'I just went solo.'?"

Robin scowled, even as Beast Boy and Raven walked over to join the conversation. "Some threats are too big to overcome alone." He waved an arm, gesturing out over the city. "If it wasn't for us, the city would be a crater by now."

"No it wouldn't have." Orpheus replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. "The city would've never been in danger if it weren't for us."

"In danger of being completely destroyed, maybe not." Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Still would've had a rampaging alien chick wrecking it though."

"Besides, where would she be right now if it weren't for us?" Beast Boy added, in a rare moment of seriousness. "Odds are, she would've been recaptured eventually. Are you saying we should've left her to a life of slavery?" Beside him, Robin and Cyborg nodded in agreement.

"Look, I'm not saying she should've been left to her fate." Orpheus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm just questioning whether we were the right people for the job, considering what very nearly happened. Of what good we'd be able to do as a team."

For a moment, nobody had anything to say to that.

"Who else was there?" Raising her head, Raven spoke in a quiet voice. "We may not have been the right people to do it, but we were the only one's there. And it may not have been clean, but we _did_ get it done." She glanced into each of their eyes in turn, before finally landing on Orpheus's covered eyes. "And if a team means the chance to do more, I'm willing to try."

"So am I." Cyborg echoed, grinning.

"Me too!" Beast Boy cheered, fist pumping.

Robin nodded, a smile of his own forming.

Orpheus bit back another sigh as all eyes landed on him, waiting for his answer. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to think. _'I suppose… I could take the time to stick around just a little bit longer.'_ He knew it wasn't a smart idea, that every moment he stayed here playing hero was a moment that the GIW got closer to catching him again. But saving that little girl back at the pizza place had felt _good_ , soothing an ache in his very core that he didn't even know he had. After that, it was all over as long buried instincts took over his body and he jumped into the fray without a moment of hesitation. Thinking about it all reminded him of one of the last talks he'd had with Clockwork.

It'd been when he'd escaped from the GIW the first time. He'd been consumed by anger, fully intending to pay back the pain they'd inflicted on him with a bloody vengeance he didn't know he had in him. Clockwork had appeared before him, stopping time for a brief chat and managed to calm him down. He'd left with these parting words.

" _If you remember nothing else of our talk, remember this." Clockwork's form shifted from a baby to a young man, his red eyes locked to Danny's. "You are a shield, not a sword. A source of light and hope, not pain and darkness. Don't forget who you are. Don't let the world change you into something you are not."_

"Alright." He opened his eyes, offering the group a tired smile. "If everyone else is willing to try, then so am I." He chuckled, shaking his head. "God, I must be mad…"

Robin grinned, laying a hand on Orpheus's shoulder. "We're all mad here."

"… Quote Alice In Wonderland to me again. I _dare_ you."

Robin's grin only widened at the threat.

"Excuse me." Murmured a quiet voice, prompting the group to turn. "I look… nice?"

Orpheus whistled appreciatively. He didn't know where she'd gotten the change in clothing, and he didn't care. Her new outfit suited her much better than her last. Her outfit had changed from the black, to mostly violet with a glowing belt, neck corn collar and silver gauntlets with green jewels. With a matching silver armband on her right arm, a sleeveless crop top showing her midriff, a stem stalk mini-skirt, and thigh-high boots all in violet.

Robin stepped forward, a noticeable blush on his face. "More than nice." He breathed, looking her up and down. "You look amazing." She just blushed in reply, smiling at the Boy Wonder shyly.

Robin shook his head, calling on his training to refocus his thoughts. "So, what's your name?" He questioned.

Beside him, Orpheus facepalmed. He hadn't asked before, because he'd just assumed that Robin had asked at some point. But now… _'All this time and he doesn't even know her name?!'_ He couldn't help but sigh, wondering just what he'd gotten himself into with his new "team".

"My name is Koriand'r." She paused, then giggled lightly at the confused faces staring back at her. "But in your language, it would be Starfire."

Robin smiled, extending a hand for her to shake in greeting, which she did. "A pleasure to meet you, Starfire."

"So, Robin," Starfire began, offering the Boy Wonder another shy smile as they broke off a bit to have a more private conversation. "I was wondering if…"

' _Something tells me she's joining this team too._ ' Orpheus thought, then nudged Beast Boy with his elbow as a new idea came to him. "Hey, Beast Boy?"

"Hm?"

"Bet you 10 dollars those two end up dating."

Beast Boy glanced at pair in question, then back at the halfa and offered him a smirk. "You're on."

Beside him, Cyborg chuckled. "Can't believe you just did that BB."

"What?" Beast Boy asked, taken back. "I mean, come on it's not like those two like each other or something."

"Oh please!" Cyborg rolled his eyes, nodding to the duo. "See how they are talking to each other? There is only one thing more painful than how obvious it is that they are attracted to each other, and that's the fact that I bet neither of them has a clue that the other feels that way."

"It's true." Orpheus nodded sagely. "The only question here is how long it takes Robin to get that stick out of his ass enough to really notice."

"My impression?" Cyborg nodded to himself, thinking. "A year, at the least. If not more."

"Sounds about right." Orpheus replied, glancing at the quiet half-demoness. "What do you think Raven?"

Raven eyed the couple carefully, before turning to look at him. "I would say that I think you should worry about your own love life rather than somebody else's." She turned and started to walk away, pausing only to throw one last remark over her shoulder. "But then again you don't have one, so…"

Wide eyed, Orpheus could only watch as she walked away. Beside him, Cyborg and Beast Boy roared with laughter.

"Very true, Raven." He murmured under his breath. Shaking his head, he chuckled as his lips formed into a ghost of a smile.

Turning back to address Cyborg, he never noticed a slight pause in Raven's step, nor the small smile that formed on her lips soon after.

* * *

 **I'd appreciate some feedback on the combat scenes in particular. They were difficult to write, and I'm still not 100% satisfied with how they turned out. This chapter has actually been about 70 to 80% complete since a few days after the last one got was posted, since I kept rewriting those scenes over and over. Eventually I took a break and decided to watch some anime.**

… **Which was a mistake because I now have at least 7 different ideas for fanfics I'd like to write, each in different fandoms. All are at various stages of completion, and not including potential one-shots.**

 **Now go be awesome and review while I go stare at myself in the mirror and ask myself:** _ **why are you like this ;-;**_


	4. How To Make Friends

**Some of you have commented on how you like my version of Danny, mainly that he's not an angst burger with extra salt and no pickles. So, I think it's only fair to warn you that if I could pick a third genre, it would probably be tragedy. Or hurt/comfort. Or even angst. That's a fair enough warning, yeah?**

 **But then again, I would also like to add in family/friendship, humor, and much later romance. So, take it with a grain of salt.**

 **Lastly, concerning the question I asked last chapter, I noticed most said they'd prefer if I always referred to Danny as Danny and let the others called him by his new alias. I'll meet you half way for now. Whenever the story is being told from Danny's POV, I'll call him Danny. Otherwise, it'll be Orpheus.**

 **Also, at the suggestion of one of the reviews I am going to be tweaking the POV from 3** **rd** **person omniscient to 3** **rd** **person limited. Be sure to let me know what you think!**

 **How to Make Friends**

Robin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt the beginnings of a headache forming just behind his eyes. Eyes narrowed, he eyed the source of his discomfort with distaste.

Sitting innocently on the dark wooden table in front of him, the rather large stack of papers seemed to mock him with its very presence. Being leader, he discovered, meant that he had the _pleasure_ and _joy_ of being the one saddled with all the paperwork. _'And this is just the start.'_ He sighed, massaging his hand to try and work out some of the numbness. He knew it would be an intensive process to form a team and get everything sorted out, but this was ridiculous.

First, there was the matter of obtaining official authorization for them to operate as individuals _and_ as a team under the same extension of the U.N. Charter that he and all heroes did that weren't officially a part of the Justice League. Which was easy enough, although it required more politicking and throwing his weight around as the Batman's former partner than he liked. The result was worth it though, as half the papers in front of him were regarding that very issue.

The other half was in relation to securing enough funding for them to operate as well as cover potential property damage, among other things. That, however, was turning out to be rather troublesome. Jump City was a big and prosperous city but that didn't mean it had enough money to spare as much of it as they needed, at least right now. He knew as time went by and crime went down that would change, but as it was now he had been allocated just barely enough to cover current living expenses and hire a construction company to begin constructing their base of operations.

Sighing, he put the pen down and instead decided to take a break and watch the news. Grabbing the remote, he started flipping through the channels idly as his mind wandered…

… Only to snap to attention when he heard a name that was familiar to him. Turning up the volume, he leaned in and frowned.

"And in other news, Wayne Enterprises CEO Bruce Wayne announced his plans to hold _yet_ another fundraiser." Droned the news anchor, a rather pretty lady with blond hair and red lipstick. "Mr. Wayne, a longtime public supporter of the Justice League, announced that the proceeds from the fundraiser will not be going to the Justice League as usual. Instead, they will be given to the Teen Titans. The Titans, located all the way out in Jump City, recently formed in the wake of an alien invasion…"

Robin stopped listening, seething in anger. Distantly, he heard the sound of crunching plastic as the TV remote was slowly crushed in his hand, but he didn't care. _'Just as manipulative as ever, eh Bruce?'_

He shook his head, chuckling hollowly. On a clinical level, he had to admire it. He knew Bruce, with the near limitless resources that he had, could've easily given him triple the money he needed. Even that much wouldn't have even been a drop in the ocean compared to how much money he knew he really had. He also knew that Bruce knew that he would never accept it. _'But give it to me publicly, in the form of a fundraiser, and I can't say no, can I?'_

A hand waved itself in front of his face. Following the hand back to its owner, he found himself staring into the haunting blue eyes of Orpheus. "Yo, Bird Brain! You ok?"

"Yes." He responded, doing his best to keep his tone calm as he eyed his new second-in-command. "What's up?"

He was handsome, he supposed. With long messy black hair and a face that hadn't yet lost all of it's boyish charm, he couldn't help but notice how similar he looked to Robin himself. Nobody would mistake them for each other, but it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to imagine that they were brothers or similarly related.

"You treating that remote like it insulted your mother for one." Orpheus quipped, raising an eyebrow. "You know if you hate the news that much you can change it, right?"

"Wasn't the news that annoyed me." He remarked coolly, leveling a glare Ghostly Titan.

"Then please, do tell what made you murder a defenseless TV remote."

"Just a guy getting involved in something that he isn't involved in." Orpheus rolled his eyes at the ambiguous and slightly threatening answer. "Anything else?"

"Just letting you know that the mayor called to confirm your meeting with him later today." Drawled Orpheus, eyes wandering about the sparse hotel room. "Remind me again, why am I suddenly your damn secretary?"

"Perk of being second-in-command." Even as he got up to deposit the remains of the TV remote in the trash, Robin smirked. "Plus, you have a phone. So, it works."

"Never agreed to that." Orpheus muttered, moving lean against the wall opposite him. He slid down to sit on the floor, eyeing him suspiciously. "Besides, I only have a phone because _you_ gave me one."

"Because you needed one, Mr. Second-In-Command." Robin grabbed his pen to return to the paperwork, pausing to look at him. "Why'd you think I was giving you a phone?"

"Honestly?" Out of the corner of his eye he could see Orpheus drumming his fingers against his leg impatiently. "I thought you wanted to use it so you could keep track of my location. Besides…" Orpheus leaned forward, looking at him curiously. "Why'd you make me your second anyway?"

Robin laughed, shaking his head. "If I wanted to do that, I'd just put a tracker on you. Much less expensive." Calming down, he met his eyes easily. "I chose you, because I wanted someone who will follow orders, but also isn't afraid to tell me when they think I'm wrong. And I think that's you. Not to mention, when I asked the others they all agreed to it too." He turned his attention back to the document in front of him. "But if you are really that opposed to it…"

Orpheus sighed, staring at the ceiling. "No, I'll take it." Under his breath Robin heard him mutter. "Why not, right?"

The Boy Wonder pretended he didn't hear that last statement. "Good."

"Still doesn't mean I agree to be your secretary though."

Robin knew he was just doing it to mess with him, but even still he couldn't help but sigh. "Starfire and Raven don't have phones, Cyborg is busy overseeing the Tower's construction, and Beast Boy means well but do you honestly think having him as a secretary is a good idea?" He waved him off. "Besides, it's not gonna kill you to answer the phone."

"Correction." Orpheus replied, affixing him with a serious look. "It hasn't killed me _yet_."

Robin ignored him.

Jumping up to his feet, Orpheus yawned. "Well, it's been real boss man but I'm gonna head out for a bit."

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere other than where I've been for the past three days." Orpheus looked at him flatly. "Which means leaving this hotel, as a start." He waved him off, turning to leave. "I'll figure out the rest as I go."

"Cyborg hasn't finished making our communicators yet." Robin warned. "If something happens…"

"Phone, remember?" Orpheus smirked, showing him the contraption in question. "Don't worry mom, I'll call if something happens."

"Wait!" Robin called out. Orpheus turned back to look at him, eyebrow raised and one foot out the door. "See if any of the others want to go with you."

Orpheus gave him a mock salute. "Sir, yes sir!"

As the Ghostly Titan closed the door behind him, Robin turned his attention back to his paperwork. Just as he was about to start filling out the next form though, something managed to catch his attention. Turning his attention back to the TV, he frowned.

"In a surprising move, VladCo. CEO Vlad Masters has announced his plans to hold a fundraiser for the newly formed Teen Titans as well." Droned the same, bored looking blond woman. "When asked why he'd do so even though Mr. Wayne had already made his intention to do just that clear, he had this to say…"

The TV changed to show a well-dressed white man, silver hair pulled back in a pony tail. "The reason is simple really." He spoke smoothly, voice lined with velvet. "I saw some footage online of those young teenagers battling aliens in the street, and I must admit I was both amazed and… ashamed." He grinned, though there was an edge of pain to it. "Amazed at how skilled and powerful they are, at that age." His smile vanished, eyes flickered to the side, and Robin had to give him credit: In that one moment he seemed to have grown old and tired. "… And ashamed that we live in a world that requires such strength from those as young as they are." He wiped at his left eye, brushing away a single tear. Then shook his head. "I'm sorry, that'll be all for now, excuse me."

The screen went back to the news anchor, and Robin's attention went back to his work. "Politicians" He said the word like a curse, all mystery behind Vlad Masters actions disappearing like smoke in the wind. He grinned. "Well if it gives me more room to work with in the budget, Masters can buy all the good PR he wants."

Rolling his eyes one last time, he finished off the form he was working on. Putting it in the completed pile, he let all thoughts of Vlad Masters vanish as he busied himself with his work.

* * *

Danny sighed, arms crossed behind his head as he walked casually down the street. It was a nice day, the sunshine warming him pleasantly through his clothes. Jump City was surprising relaxed for being such a big city and though it had the quiet roar of activity that every city had, Jump's was much lower. It would be a nice day for a walk, he mused. _'Were it only that I could do so alone.'_

His time with his new "team" had brought to light startling changes in himself, most of which he didn't hadn't even know about until they reared their ugly head. Being on the run was a solitary affair, and he'd been forced out of necessity to gain a healthy appreciation for solitude. It had been the only way he avoided going insane after all, when it might be days until he spoke to anyone.

He'd figured out a way to hide it well by throwing on a mask of sarcasm and jokes, but when he saw his hooded visage reflected in a nearby shop window there was no denying that he wasn't who he used to be.

"Friend Orpheus?" Came the voice next to him, making him turn to look at his orange-skinned companion. "Are you well?"

Danny sighed. _'She's more perceptive than she seems.'_ He mused, looking at the red-head with a frown. Starfire, he'd discovered, was incredibly cheerful and sweet once she warmed up to you. It was a sharp contrast to the rather violent, rampaging berserker he'd seen not days earlier.

When he'd knocked on the door to her room and asked if she'd like to go out and get some fresh air, she'd jumped at the chance. Literally. And then proceeded to hover there, gushing about how they'd have so much fun and how she couldn't wait to spend time with her new friend. Not even Raven declining his offer to come with them with a flat "no" and closing her door without another word could bring her mood down. And after receiving no answer at all when he'd knocked on Beast Boy's room, though the sound of snoring he could hear through the door made it no mystery as to why, one life-threateningly tight hug later and they were on their way.

"All good here, pretty lady." He said playfully, flashing her a grin and hoping to assuage her fears.

"Forgive me." Starfire frowned, eyeing him. "I just get the feeling that you are not enjoying the going out with me as much as I am with you." She cocked her head to the side. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"First off," Danny began, raising a finger. "Don't say that you are going out with me like that. I know that's technically what we are doing, but you saying it like that is going to give people the wrong impression." _'Not to mention make Robin try and kill me.'_ He added privately. Starfire looked confused, but to her credit didn't interrupt. "And second, to answer your question, no you haven't. I'm just a bit… preoccupied." He said, looking away for a moment before he flashed her another grin. "Sorry. A pretty lady like you deserves better company than me."

"Orpheus…" Starfire surprised him, stepping forward to take his hand. "What is troubling you?" She murmured, looking up at him with worried eyes.

' _Those eyes…_ ' Danny resisted the urge to scream. He'd thought his time in solitude may have afforded him _some_ resistance to the infamous 'Puppy Dog Eyes'. But no, he could already feel himself folding so easily and pathetically that it was clear he hadn't changed at all in that respect. And privately, the thought comforted him.

"I'm just worried." He confessed, turning his to look anywhere else than her concerned green eyes.

He could feel her looking at him, searching his face for something, but he steadfastly refused to look in her direction. He wanted to scream at her that it was none of her business. He wanted to break down crying, begging her to tell him why she so sincerely cared. He did neither, not trusting himself to do much else but stand there.

She must've found what she was looking for, as she just gave a light hum of acknowledgement. Tugging lightly on his hand, which he just realized that she _still_ hadn't let go, he offered no resistance as she led him by the hand down the street.

Any mystery as to where she was leading him faded as buildings gave way to trees and concrete gave way to soft grass. There were less people here, and if he closed his eyes he could hear the leaves rustling gently in the breeze. Idly, he wondered how she knew where the park was before he became aware that she was looking at him again.

"What are you worried about?" She asked softly, rubbing her thumb gently across his knuckles.

' _God, where to start?'_ He chuckled hollowly, shaking his head. _'It's all so messed up…'_ He decided it would be best to just keep it simple. "Everything." He choked out, voice heavy with emotion as he found himself once again unable to meet her eyes. He prayed that she didn't push him for more, as in that moment he wasn't sure if he had the willpower to deny her if she did.

If she wasn't happy with the vague response, she didn't show it. Instead, he felt her soft hand on his cheek, gently turning his head to face her once again. "Do not worry." She said softly, giving him a comforting smile. "Everything will be alright."

Danny stared at her. She said it with such confidence, she truly believed what she said. Still… "How do you know?"

"I just do." Letting go of his hand, she poked his chest lightly. "I may have not known you long, but I can tell that you have a good heart." She said simply, looking in his eyes meaningfully. "And you are not alone. You have me and our friends to help you." Surprising him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. Unlike her previous hug however, this one was gentle. Soft. "Everything will be alright, Orpheus."

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the Tamaranean Princess. He couldn't help but marvel at how warm she was, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She shifted slightly, her hair tickling his face, but made no move to get away.

He wasn't sure how long they remained like that, only that at some point his grip on her had tightened, from a simple embrace to holding onto her desperately like she was the only thing keeping him afloat in a raging sea. Still, she made no move to get away, her only response was to tighten her own hold on him.

' _How long has it been?'_ Danny sighed, feeling as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He'd never been a physically affectionate person, always worming out of hugs and kisses whenever his mom or sister pressed them upon him. It was something he regretted now. _'Guess I can chalk up another change.'_

"Thank you." He murmured, voice barely above a whisper as he pulled back slightly to look her in the eye.

She just nodded, smiling warmly.

It was then that Danny recalled a few important facts, things he hadn't really forgotten but had been pushed aside in the wake of other matters. Number one being that Starfire was _female_. Number two was the position they had been in. That they _were still in_. Never mind the fact that Starfire initiated the hug, it had been he who pulled her so close that the only way he could get closer was via intangibility. Danny suddenly became aware of two _somethings_ pressed against his chest, which only served as further proof of her gender.

Letting out a sound which was a cross between a squeak and a yelp, Danny let go of her and scrambled back. Unfortunately, in his haste to put distance between the two of them as he cried out an apology, one of his boots caught on the root of a nearby tree and he landed painfully on his bottom.

"Ow…" He groaned, wincing. Getting back on his feet, he rubbed his sore bottom as he became distinctly aware of the sound of laughter. "Such cruelty, I did not know my lady was capable of it." He sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest. "To know you would laugh my pain."

"But we both know you are uninjured." Starfire replied, still giggling as her eyes shined with mirth. "After all, I do not think it possible for such a fall to wound you."

Danny smiled despite himself. "True enough."

As one, the pair of alien and half-ghost started to make their way out of the forest. A peaceful silence started to settle over the duo, both content to simply enjoy the nice day and each other's company. It was only after they left the park behind that Danny spared a glance at his companion. _'I guess I should do something nice for her…'_

Spying a nearby shop, an idea came to mind that made him grin. "Hey Star?"

"Yes, Friend Orpheus?"

"Have you ever had ice cream?"

It would be much later when Danny realized something. Ice cream in hand and sitting on a bench in the park, Danny watched as Starfire ignored his warning and took a huge bite out of her vanilla ice cream cone. The expression on her face as she immediately regretted it was priceless, and as he laughed he realized that he was glad she had come with him.

* * *

"Hey Cy!" Wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, Cyborg turned toward the voice. Human eye squinting against the sun, he spied the hooded form of Orpheus approaching. "How's it coming along?"

"As expected." Cyborg grunted, eying his teammate idly. Despite the heat, there wasn't a single bit of sweat on him to be seen. "Robin send you to check up on me?"

"Nah." Orpheus waved the question off. "He's busy convincing the Mayor that letting him and five superpowered teens have free reign to run around the city couldn't possibly go wrong." The corners of Orpheus's lips quirked into a lopsided grin. "Which means by now he probably wishes that he was anywhere else right about now."

"Probably." Cyborg snorted, taking a seat on a piece of rebar. "So why are you here?" He asked conversationally, taking a swig out of a water bottle.

"Boredom." Orpheus replied, walking forward to inspect the imposing metal frame that would become their Tower. "Three days doing nothing in a hotel room will do that to you." He knocked his knuckle against the metal idly.

Cyborg rolled his eyes, grinning. "You realize what you just described is a vacation for most people, right?"

Orpheus turned to him, smirking. Raising his hand to eye level, he let a single spark of green energy flicker between his fingers. "I'm not most people."

"Clearly." Cyborg replied flatly, unimpressed. Leaning back, he gazed up at the sky in silent contemplation. "So, what's your story?" He asked at last, breaking the silence. At the look Orpheus gave him, he clarified. "How'd you get to be not like most people?"

Orpheus hummed, rubbing his chin in thought before he broke out in another grin. "In the words of the great and powerful Lady Gaga," He fixed Cyborg with a serious look. "…I was born this way."

"…Seriously?"

"No." Orpheus grinned at him, leaning against the frame.

Cyborg glared at him, annoyed. "Very funny." He grumbled.

Orpheus ignored him. "How about this?" He suggested, glancing toward the city. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"It's kind of obvious, isn't it?" Cyborg turned to look away from him. "Lab accident." He grumbled, a pained look flashing across his face as he remembered the accident.

"Really?" Orpheus raised an eyebrow. "Same here actually." Cyborg gave him a skeptical look and he added. "Well, minus the being obvious part." He gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Guess we're more alike than I thought."

"Really?" Cyborg frowned. "Is your old man responsible for yours too?"

"Well…" Orpheus looked away nervously. Rubbing the back of his head, he gave another nervous laugh. "In a sense, I guess so. Him and my mom both." He admitted, a melancholic look flashing across his face. "But I've never blamed him for it." He added hastily, noticing a dark look flash across his companion's face at his words.

Cyborg folded his arms over his chest, the sound of clanging metal being the only sound for a moment. "Guess that's the difference between us then." He said impassively, a moment of silence passing between them.

"Did he mean to cause it?" Orpheus asked tentatively, glancing at him.

Cyborg frowned, thinking. Did he? If he'd been asked that question in the days after the accident, he knew he would've answered yes in a heartbeat. But here, now that he'd had time to think on his father's actions and found people who accepted him for what he was, it wasn't as clear. "It's complicated." He admitted quietly, glancing away. "He's not an easy person to understand."

Orpheus merely hummed in thought, saying nothing.

After a moment passed between them, Orpheus stopped leaning against the metal frame of the Tower and walked forward. Rolling his shoulders, he gave the half-metal Titan an odd look. "You should forgive him then." He said simply, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

Cyborg rose to his full height, settling an angry glare on the halfa. "Excuse me?" He growled, his voice low in anger as he made to advance on the much smaller teen. "Who are you to-"

"Whoa, easy big guy." Orpheus raised his hands in surrender, interrupting him. "Look, I don't know anything about what happened, ok?" He admitted, wringing his hands nervously. "It really isn't even my place to tell you how to do anything, I admit that."

"Then don't." Cyborg cut in, eye narrowed.

"What I do know," Orpheus continued, "Is that if you aren't 100% sure that he meant to make you what you are, then there is a good chance that he didn't. And _if_ that's the case, then you should forgive him." He gave Cyborg another smile that held a sadness that made the larger teen flinch and look away. "Take advice from an orphan, ok? Don't leave any unfinished between you and your dad, because you never know when it'll be too late."

When Cyborg finally found it within himself to look back toward where the black-haired teen was, he couldn't find him. Alone, Cyborg turned back to work without a word, mind still filled with the halfa's words.

* * *

 **Most of that last scene was written by me operating on a dangerously low amount of sleep, so it might be a bit rough. I'll be reviewing over it for spelling, grammar, and just generally giving it a polish over the next few days though.**

 **Eventually I'll get to writing chapters with the length that I used to write them, which is a bit more than twice as long as this one, but for now these will have to do. This one took so long because I desperately wanted to throw in a scene with Beast Boy but couldn't bring myself to do it. Eventually that scene with Cyborg came out and I'm happy with that.**

 **Also, what do you guy's think of Starfire's dialogue here? I'm not sure I've sufficiently replicated her unique way of speaking.**

 **And lastly, just to kill this before it can be born, that scene between Starfire and Danny does** _ **not**_ **mark the beginning of a DannyxStarfire. It does, however, mark the beginning of the long process of Starfire getting a grumpy/emotional brother named Danny.**

 **I did mention I'd like to add family/friendship, right? :p**


	5. Divided

**Howdy folks. Two announcements. First off, I am not longer ImaSoBored. I have become Bored-sama. Hear me roar.**

 **Second, during the writing of this I was contacted by a fellow writer. He brought me an idea of his, we talked about it and all. Long story short, he wanted to include this story(And presumably the sequels to it) in this multiverse idea of his comprised of various other crossovers(Mainly Ben 10 at the moment), basically leaving the door open for possible crossovers between all the stories in it. Here for a short word on the subject is the man himself:**

Hello everyone, Blazorna Ibara here. I know many are confused about why GOAT is part of a multiverse of mainly Ben 10 crossovers written by various authors on this site. The reason why is that I really like going against the norm. That and I didn't want to make this multiverse, or Omniverse as it's referred to, to feel like it's exclusively only to Ben 10. There's many great stories outside of Ben 10, like GOAT. Plus DC does a Multiverse themselves, and considering I've got A Misplaced Hero in Gotham, a Ben 10 crossover with Batman, it's not _that_ odd if you keep that in mind. Infinite worlds, Infinite possibilities. And don't worry, GOAT _will_ remain the same story as you know and love.

 **What this means for other stories, like Ibara's Misplaced Hero in Gotham, is that you might see my version of Danny and other such GOAT elements pop up there.**

 **But what this means for this story? Right now, absolutely nothing. Currently, I have no plans on incorporating elements from other stories into my own and any events that take place in other stories using elements from this one will be considered noncanon. What this means is that while you might see my Danny running around Gotham with Ben, as far as my story is concerned it never happened. These two things are in place to avoid messing up my own plans for the plot of a GOAT, and will be in place unless I mention otherwise in the future.**

 **As a closing note, if you are a Ben 10 fan, I'd give Ibara's stories a glance. If you are a big fan of the Ben 10 series, I think you'll like it.**

* * *

 **Divided**

Danny yawned, idly running a hand through his hair as he slowly ambled down the halls of the newly built Titans Tower. Arriving in the Ops Room, he walked out to stand in front of the window and watched as the sun began to peak over the bay.

Ghost hunting had done a number on his sleeping habits, but life on the run had all but destroyed them. Now, barring extenuating circumstances, he got up with the sun and couldn't go to sleep again until late in the night. If he slept at all, that is. Turning toward the kitchen area, he was greeted by the sight of Raven filling a tea kettle with water by the sink. He wasn't surprised to see her, given that the two of them along with Robin were the early risers of the team, but he did note somewhat distantly that he hadn't even heard her come in.

"Morning." He said in way of a greeting as he approached, unsurprised when all she did was glance in his direction and offer him a polite nod in return. While not unfriendly, save irritation at Beast Boy's antics, the Dark Titan was the least sociable out of all of them. She'd speak when spoken to and occasionally give her own input, but for the most part she remained quiet and reclusive. However, he got the feeling she was trying to be friendlier in her own way in the form of her picking spots where the others were close by as good places to read or meditate. He'd decided to repay that by taking the time to talk to her when he could, as well as include her in any plans if she wanted.

He'd like to think that she appreciated his efforts, but with how emotionless her expression was he honestly couldn't tell. "So, finish furnishing your room?" He asked conversationally, sliding in next to her to retrieve a cup from the cupboard.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she added herbal tea bags to the kettle, then closed the lid and set it on the stove. "For now, yes." She answered, glancing at him again as she left to sit on the couch.

He merely hummed in response, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Thinking about redecorating already?"

She gave a slight shrug, pulling a book out from underneath her cloak. "Possibly."

Briefly, he wondered just where she'd been keeping that book before shaking it off. "Well if you need a hand with it, let me know." She just nodded in response, eyes now focused on the book in front of her. Taking that as the cue the conversation was over, he focused his attention back on his coffee as he added cream and sugar.

Taking a sip of the steaming hot beverage, he was unsurprised when the door to the Ops Room opened and Robin walked in. The Boy Wonder was breathing harder than usual, sweat beading on his brow from his morning workout. Giving them a wordless greeting, Robin made a beeline for the fridge. Retrieving a water bottle, a little bit of water ran down Robin's cheeks as he unscrewed the cap and greedily gulped down its contents.

"You know," Danny said casually, leaning against the counter as he cradled his cup of coffee between his hands. "It'd probably make national news if the Boy Wonder died by choking to death trying to inhale a bottle of water."

Robin scoffed, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he wiped his mouth. "World-wide is more like it."

Robin, Danny had learned, was a creature of habit. Every day, he got up even earlier than Danny did for a short but intense morning workout. Afterward, he always went to the Ops Room for a bottle of water and a few minutes to cool off. Then, he'd take a quick shower and be back out in time to eat breakfast and watch the news.

"Someone has a high opinion of themselves." Danny rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his coffee. Swallowing, he addressed the black-haired teen once more. "So, anything on the agenda for today?"

Robin shrugged, taking another sip from his bottle. "Same as it has been, unless something happens."

Structurally, the shell of the Tower was complete. All the walls, windows, ceilings, floors, and doors were in place and ready. Unfortunately, it was still little more than a shell. They had power and water, cable and internet and such. They were even connected to all the emergency systems in the city, so they'd get an alert if something was going on. But there was still a lot of work to be done.

"Cy said he should have a working security system up and fully operational by the end of today." Mused Danny, rubbing his chin in thought. "And at the rate we're going, uninterrupted we should have most of the main rooms and facilities done within the week." He paused, frowning. "Isn't it weird though?" Glancing at Robin, he explained further. "It's just, there's been no major criminal activity since we were announced."

"Yeah, I hear you." Robin replied, tossing his empty water bottle into a nearby trash can. "Still, all we can do right now is keep an eye out and be ready when something does happen."

Danny sighed, dejected. "That means more training, doesn't it?" Normally, he'd be all for it. However, there was only so much he could do in his human form. And even if that wasn't the case, it was hard to match Robin's enthusiasm for training.

"Relax." Robin said, grinning as he clasped his shoulder. "Today's session is going to be more about teamwork and working on some collaborative moves than anything else."

"You just want to work on that one move you've been making with Cyborg, don't you?"

Robin shrugged, unashamed. "It's powerful and needs work. His footwork is off."

"That's what Cyborg says about you as well." Raven interjected, smoothly putting away her book and getting up to approach them. The smell of herbal tea met his nose as she poured herself a cup of it from the tea kettle.

"He's wrong." Robin waved a hand dismissively, turning toward the door to leave for his shower. "I have perfect coordination." He called through the doorway, disappearing from sight.

"Not according to Cyborg you don't!" Danny called after him, grinning.

"You know he's never going to accepted that." Raven stated, a hint of amusement coloring her voice as she took a sip of her tea.

"In the words of Shakespeare," Danny shrugged. "He that is proud eats up himself: pride is his own glass, his own trumpet, his own chronicle." He went to take a sip of his coffee, frowning when he realized he was out. At first, he reached toward the coffee pot to grab some more before an idea came to mind. Putting his hand down, he threw on a friendly smile and turned toward Raven. "Do you have any extra?" He asked, nodding toward the kettle.

Raven eyed him suspiciously. It was easy to forget the cloaked grey-skinned girl was an empath. More than likely, she could sense some of what he was trying to do. Still, she nodded after a moment. Picking up the kettle, she held it out to him expectantly.

Holding out his cup for her, he watched as she poured out some of the remainder of her tea into his cup. He smiled when she finished, raising his cup. "Cheers." He took a sip, manifesting the barest hint of his ice core to keep the hot liquid from burning his tongue. The taste wasn't the most pleasant thing he'd ever had, but it went down easily enough.

"Since when do you like herbal tea?" Raven asked after a moment of silence, still looking at him oddly.

Danny shrugged, deciding it probably wouldn't be a smart move to try and lie to someone who knew what you were feeling. "I used to have a friend who was obsessed with the stuff years ago. She got over it, but not before I got used to drinking it." He shrugged again, taking another sip. "Though it would be more accurate to say that I neither like it or hate it."

Silence followed that, as they both quietly drank their tea. Then…

"Why are you doing all this?" Raven inquired, raising an eyebrow and affixing him with a look.

Danny just smiled innocently, sipping his tea. "All of what?"

"This." Raven nodded to the cup in his hands. "Asking for tea you don't really like to build common ground. Always trying to talk to me. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Danny regarded her coolly, keeping his face blank out of habit. _'Though with her that's likely useless…'_ The truth was she reminded him of himself, many years ago before he'd even met Sam and Tucker. Being the son of the town weirdos didn't exactly earn you many friends. For most of his earlier years, he'd been rather shy and introverted. Bad at being social with others. Then he'd met Sam and she, later Tucker as well, had both unintentionally helped break him out of his shell. The truth was he felt bad for her, wanted to help her the same way his friends had helped him. That was the truth.

And he was quite certain that it would _not_ go over well if he told her that. Still, he also couldn't risk lying. He put on an easy smile. "Is it so hard to believe that I want to be friends?"

"Friends?" She scoffed, frowning at him. "You don't know anything about me."

Danny rolled his eyes. Looking into her eyes, he reached forward with deliberate slowness and flicked her on her forehead, right underneath the gemstone on her Ajna chakra. He smiled, even as she glared at him and rubbed her forehead. "Did you forget what I told you when we first met?"

" _It's what you do that says the most about you, and what you did tells me all I need to know."_

Danny sipped his tea, watching as the irritation faded from her face, replaced with a thoughtful look. Moments later, even that faded back into the normally expressionless façade she wore normally. Picking up the tea kettle once more, she poured the last of the tea into her cup. Placing the now empty kettle into the sink, she turned back to the couch. With her back to him, she spoke. "… I'll make a little extra in the morning. What I don't drink is yours, if you want it."

Danny couldn't help but smile at that, but before he could thank her for the olive branch she turned back to look at him. Affixing him with a glare, she spoke in a low, threatening tone. "But if you _ever_ do that again, I'll send you to a dimension that lacks any source of natural light and leave you there."

Danny just laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Haha, that's good one!"

Raven didn't respond, merely turning back and headed toward the couch.

"… You were just joking, right Raven?"

Sitting down on the couch, she placed her cup on the table in front of her and pulled out her book.

"… Raven?"

It was at that moment that alarms began going off.

* * *

Cinderblock was many things. Strong and very durable as a result of having a body made from cement and possessing stamina that was well above average. Together this made him a formidable opponent for all who would stand against him.

But not smart. And he accepted that. That was the price you paid for having a cement brain, after all. So when his employer directed him to retrieve a very special prisoner from a high security prison, he didn't hesitate. Sure, it was a prison. Kind of place he should be avoiding, but his employer assured him that their defenses were no match for him. It was above his paygrade to think, after all.

With one mighty swing from his cement fist, the metal gate that stood before him gave way and was sent flying back. Alarms rang out and guards swarmed in front of him like ants, guns at the ready. Cinderblock paid them no mind however, soldiering ever onward even as bullets bounced off his body. With another sweep of his massive arms, the path before him was cleared of the ants that would stop him.

Arriving at the main entrance, Cinderblock almost laughed at their pathetic attempts to keep him out. Cocking his fist back, he let it fly straight into the large double doors. Cement met steel for the second time that day, and with the sound of crunching metal the doors flew inward. Crossing the threshold, Cinderblock eyed the main prison yard. Empty.

"You know, most villains try to break _out_ of jail." Came a dry voice, somewhere up above to his right. Turning to face the sound, he spied six oddly dressed teens standing on one of the upper levels. He recognized them easily. The Teen Titans. His employer had warned him they might interfere.

"Guess this guy isn't the brightest, huh?" Quipped the one in the dark grey hoody and black vest, Orpheus if his memory served. Beside him, Robin smirked.

"Let's see if we can't help him lighten up then. Titan's go!" Robin yelled as a battle cry, jumping into the air. The bottom of his green combat boots meet cement with a dull thud as he used Cinderblock's chest as a jumping board, the force of the blow mixed with momentum was enough to unbalance the villain, sending Cinderblock stumbling back and straight in a powerful starbolt to the head from Starfire.

Cinderblock growled angrily, shaking away stars as he spotted the grey-hooded Titan charging him. Reeling back his fist, he sent a titanic punch at Orpheus, only to be intercepted by Cyborg jumping over him and meeting the rock monster's punch with one of his own. Cement met metal once again, only this time both were stopped dead in their tracks. Disengaging, Cyborg jumped back with surprising grace for his size. Cinderblock grit his teeth in frustration, preparing to pursue him only to be stopped dead as a powerful blow landed from an unseen source directly on the center of his chest, sending him skidding back a few inches.

Phasing into sight right in front of him, Orpheus smirked even as his hands lit up in green energy and he let loose on the stone villain, sending a flurry of punches straight into his torso, each blow sending him skidding back a little. Growing tired of the unending assault, Cinderblock threw out his hand and managed to catch one of the punches in the palm of his hand, enclosing his entire fist in his stone hand, snuffing out the green energy easily. The rocky villain gave him an evil grin, lifting the Ghostly Titan up so he could meet his gaze at eye level. "Hey!" Orpheus yelled, using his feet to push against Cinderblock's chest in a futile attempt to free himself. "Let me go!"

Turning intangible and invisible, he watched with satisfaction as Cinderblock looked around, confused at where is quarry had gone and temporarily completely forgetting about his other opponents. That is, until Raven used her magic to rip up a piece of concrete and launch it at the stone man's back, the concrete breaking apart on impact.

Stumbling from the impact and shaking off debris, Cinderblock roared in anger and charged toward the blue clad sorceress. He managed to make it five steps before getting slammed by a green T Rex and sent flying.

Beast Boy, as a T Rex, roared and charged Cinderblock a second time. Unfortunately for the green changeling Cinderblock was ready this time. Letting his fist fly, he punched the dinosaur right in the middle of his head, overcoming the momentum the great beast had built up and sending him flying back, almost crushing Raven in the process. Luckily, Beast Boy had the forethought to change back to human before impact. Even so, the impact was still enough to send them both flying to the ground. Getting up, Beastboy eyed Raven's carefully blank expression and chuckled nervously. "Uhhh… watch out for falling dinosaurs?" He joked, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Raven just blew a strand of hair out of her face, radiating annoyance. "I'm… going to leave you alone now."

As one, Robin and Cyborg charged at Cinderblock, only to get knocked back by a almost casual swipe from Cinderblock, who was almost laughing at the attempt. Swooping down from above, Starfire's hands lit up as she let starbolts fly from her palms directly toward the stone villain's face. Angered and temporarily blinded, Cinderblock reached out and swiped his hands around wildly where he had seen her, somehow managing to grab the redheaded Tameranan. Vision clearing, he brought the redhead close to his face, smirking. In that moment, you could almost feel pity from the other Titans.

Starfire gave Cinderblock a sugar sweet smile. "I am most sorry to disappoint." Her eyes began to glow a bright green. "But I am stronger than I look." She nailed Cinderblock in the chest with her leg as hard as she could; forcing him to let her go and sending him stumbling back.

Capitalizing on Cinderblock's current lack of balance, Robin jumped on Cinderblock's back, hooking his arms around the villain's neck. Cinderblock roared, thrashing around, but, unfortunately for Cinderblock, his arms were too short to reach his back to rip Robin off. "Thrashing only makes me hold tighter!"

Cinderblock let out another roar, this time ripping one of the metal supports on the wall out. Robin jumped off Cinderblock's back just as the unintelligent rock man hit himself over the head with the metal support beam so hard that made a dent the size of his head on it.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Cyborg declared, ripping off another metal support. Cyborg and Cinderblock clashed support beams, swinging the heavy metal beams like batons, sparks flying where they collided from the sheer strength behind the blows. The two dueled this way for several seconds but in the end it was a contest of strength, of which Cinderblock had Cyborg only just beat. One blow from the rock monster sent Cyborg stumbling back, another sent him flying away.

Cinderblock turned toward where Starfire and Raven were floating. He started forward, beam still in hand, but a quick starbolt from Starfire melted it. Now weaponless, he eyed the Titans carefully, looking almost thoughtful. While he knew he'd get a bonus if he managed to take them out, that wasn't the job and he was beginning to realize that taking them out would take more time than he had. Turning he began to run toward the far side of the room, where he had been heading in the first place.

"Wanna give this guy the sonic boom?" Cinderblock heard Robin's voice behind him, but he paid it no mind as he focused on his task.

"I got the sonic if you got the boom. Yo rockhead!"

Growling in annoyance at the insult, Cinderblock turned to look at them. Simultaneously, they ran forward, and then jumped off the nearby walls. There movements were graceful, almost like watching a dance. Elegant, yet efficient, and, from what he could see, almost completely in sync. Then everything went to hell.

Cinderblock's eyes weren't quick enough to catch it, nor was he intelligent enough to reason it out, but at some point, during the duo's dance something had went wrong. Feet becoming entangled with each other they began spinning in midair, throwing both off with the unexpected motion. It ended with them both being spent spiraling into opposite walls, Cyborg's cannon going off with a crack to hit Starfire and Beast Boy, kicking up dust and sending them flying away. Robin's exploding disk, already prepped to go 'boom', went flying, incidentally landing at the feet of Raven and Orpheus. In the seconds between it flying to them and exploding, Orpheus managed to get a hold of Raven's shoulder, turning them both intangible and saving them from any harm. Despite this, an explosion at point blank range still left them disoriented with ringing ears and blinded eyes.

Biting back a laugh at the pitiful sight, Cinderblock instead turned his attention back to his task. Charging at the wall with reckless abandon, he hit it shoulder first, grinning with satisfaction as it gave way beneath his might and let him into the next room. Ignoring the orange jumpsuit wearing inmates he found on the other side, he gave the next few walls the same treatment. Ending up in a long corridor, he turned off to the left and out of sight.

* * *

Danny sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in a futile attempt to fight the headache he knew was coming. After his vision had cleared somewhat from the close call with the exploding disc, Cinderblock was nowhere in sight. Instead of the hulking behemoth of a man, he found a gaping hole in the wall instead with prisoners pouring out of it.

What followed was an hour of rounding up the prisoners from the nearby area. It hadn't taken long, most hadn't even managed to make it five steps outside of the prison's grey stone walls before being caught. Neither were any of them a threat, as even the best of them quickly fell against the superheroes standing against them. Danny found it annoying regardless, especially as he still had to deal with a few spots in his vision and a slight ringing in his ears that his healing had yet to fix.

"Jailbreak?" Beast Boy scoffed, an easy grin forming on his face. "I don't see any jailbreak!"

Danny eyed the young changeling thoughtfully. Despite usually being the last one up, and indeed having been woken up by the alarm today, of those who weren't up already before the alarm went off the green-haired youth had been one of the first to be ready to go to the Ops Room. It was impressive, especially considering some days the changeling slept in until noon. _'But then, he was in the Doom Patrol.'_ He mused, turning back toward the group. It was easy to forget with how he acted but despite his goofy and easy-going behavior, Beast Boy was as much a veteran hero as Robin was.

"None of us would've seen one," Robin's voice broke him out of his musings. "If _someone_ hadn't messed up." He muttered darkly, frowning in disapproval.

While he hadn't specified who he meant by that, the glare he sent Cyborg ensure that it was no mystery. Something the cybernetic teen picked up on. "Me?" To his credit, he looked more puzzled than angry. "I didn't mess up anything." Cyborg answered the unsaid accusation easily, folding his arms over his chest. " _You_ got in my way."

Still, Robin denied it with a shake of his head. "You were too far forward." He said matter-of-factly, poking the half-metal teen in the chest with a single glove covered finger. Turning away from his teammate, he stalked toward the guards standing some ways away. "And Cinderblock got away because of it." He threw over his shoulder in that same righteous, better-than-thou tone he'd been using.

If looks could kill, the glare Cyborg was sending at the Boy Wonder's back would've done it. "You saying this is my fault?" His voice was low and dangerous, but Robin rose to the challenge anyway, turning on the spot and walking right up to the cybernetic teen until they were nearly chest to chest.

In a voice as equally low and dangerous, he spoke. "Want me to say it again?"

Danny cast a speculative glance around, frowning. Though neither of them had been shouting, the very public confrontation had begun to draw a crowd regardless. And judging by the worried looks dotted throughout, most of them knew what a fight between two Titans would mean for the rest of the city. _'Guess I should break it up…'_ He was hesitant to get involved, especially since things between him and Cyborg had been weird since their last talk. But before he could even take a single step forward, Starfire beat him to it.

"Stop!" She cried, placing a hand on either of their chests and pushing them apart to get between them. Frowning, she glanced between each of them, eyes silently pleading. "Please, no more mean talking!"

"Yeah!" Beast Boy chimed in, grinning easily despite the obvious tension. "If you two are gonna fight, we need time to sell tickets!"

"At the very least take it to the sparring room back at the Tower." Danny commented dryly, rolling his eyes. "You know, the room we made specifically so we can duke it out without any risk of tearing the place apart."

"Cinderblock escaped." Raven interjected smoothly, voice and face betraying nothing. "It's irrelevant whose fault it is and no amount of fighting will change that." She finished, glancing purposely at each of them.

Each of them seemed to deflate at her words, and Danny breathed a sigh of relief as they turned away from each other. The peace only lasted a moment though.

"Loser."

"Jerk."

And with that, they were back at each other's throats as Starfire and Beast Boy looked on worriedly. Danny just facepalmed. _'So close…'_

"You got a problem with me, _tinman?!_ "

"Yeah, it's four feet tall and smells like cheap hair gel!"

"Yeah? Well you're an oversized clutz and your feel smell like motor oil!"

"Children." Danny moaned, facepalming again in sheer exasperation. "I'm working with fucking children." He muttered lowly. Unfortunately, they heard him anyway. As one, they rounded on him.

"What'd you say?!"

"You heard me!" Danny shook his head in disgust. "We lost! News flash, it happens!" He growled, glaring at both of them in equal measure. "Regardless, there is about a thousand other _more important_ things we could be doing right now other than assigning blame!"

"Oh really?" Before the young halfa could even blink, Robin was in his face. "What should we be doing then, oh wise one?"

"How about tending to our wounds?" Danny ground out sarcastically. "Considering I'm still seeing spots and hearing a ringing in my ears from having an explosive go off at _point fucking blank range!_ " He jabbed a finger at the Boy Wonder. "And you're damn lucky that's all. If I was just a shade slower…" He trailed off ominously.

To his credit, Robin had the decency to look away, looking guilty. Cyborg however looked far too pleased at the dressing down Robin was getting, which brought Danny's attention to him. "Don't act like your any better Cy. Me and Raven might've dodged the worst of that explosive disc, but Starfire and Beast Boy took that sonic cannon of yours full force." He growled, rounding on the cybernetic Titan. "Have you even bothered to check and see if they're ok?"

"Oh, so now you're on my case too?" Cyborg growled. "I don't need this, least of all from you." Turning away from them, looked back to say just two words. "I quit." He intoned coolly, with a look that dared them to challenge him. When no challenge came, he turned away from them and walked off with slow, angry footsteps.

"What just happened…?" Beast Boy murmured, staring after the retreating ex-Titan with something close to regret.

Robin scoffed, turning away from the scene. "Forget him." He grumbled tiredly, walking off. "Who knows? Maybe we're better off without him." He began walking off in the general direction of the Tower, Starfire and Beast Boy both trailing behind him quietly.

Danny just looked after where Cyborg had disappeared, feeling strange. On one hand, he'd meant every word. But on the other hand… _'Maybe it was step too far to imply he didn't care…?'_

He was aware of Raven's approach, though it wasn't until she reached up to put a hand on the right side of his head that she had his attention. Blinking, he focused his eyes on her just in time to see a blueish light come from where she had her and the relief that came as the ringing went away in that ear and his headache lessened. Turning his head, he offered the left side to her and she gave it the same treatment.

"I can't do anything about your eyes." Raven said emotionlessly, answering the unasked question. "You'll just have to wait for that to go away on its own."

Danny idly wondered if he should mention that his own healing abilities would've had him sorted in another minute or so now that he wasn't using his powers, but ultimate decided to just be grateful, giving the grey-skinned girl a nod and a murmured word of thanks. She accepted both, then added. "They're fine, by the way." At the questioning look he shot her, she explained. "Starfire and Beast Boy." She glanced toward the duo in question. "I looked them over while we were rounding up prisoners. Beast Boy has some soreness and bruising, but with my help both should be gone soon."

Danny nodded in understanding, glancing at the sorcerous in question. "How are you?"

"Fine." She answered back tonelessly. She looked at him and, while it certainly wasn't a smile, there was a hint of amusement hidden in her features. "I was smart enough to close my eyes when it went off."

Despite the obvious jab at his intelligence, Danny didn't do anything but chuckle wearily. "I was too busy making sure we were both fully intangible when it went off to even think about that." He answered honestly, glancing back at the girl in question. She just nodded, accepting his explanation without comment.

* * *

Danny sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. _'I seem to be doing that a lot lately.'_ He'd known joining this team would be a headache in more ways than one, but he'd hardly expected one of the ways to come from drama between the members.

Upon arriving back at the Tower, Cyborg's absence had been felt immediately when they'd realized that it had been his turn to cook. Robin had just sighed, quietly phoning in to a nearby restaurant to order some breakfast and sending Raven to pick it up.

When the girl in question returned with two large bags of the stuff, Robin just grabbed a biscuit and stalked off, grumbling something about investigating the attack on the prison. Raven disappeared soon after, headed to the roof. Turning away from the glass plane window overlooking the bay, he munched on a biscuit idly as he observed the room.

Starfire was by the kitchen, moving about. He'd discovered that Starfire, as a Tameranan, possessed nine stomachs. As such, she could eat an incredible amount of food, more than anyone he'd even met. And while she'd eaten her fill of the breakfast food, no doubt now she was making some authentic Tameranan dish as a snack. His stomach turned at the thought and he suppressed a groan. _'No doubt she'll want me to try some.'_ He'd discovered the hard way that an authentic Tameranan dish made by Starfire was one of the most sickening things he'd ever try.

' _Still… at least her cooking has yet to bite back.'_ He couldn't help but smile at the thought, thinking of the many chaotic mornings in the Fenton household where ectoplasmic enhanced cookware had inadvertently brought the food they were cooking to life. _'Never though I'd miss a slice of toast trying to kill me.'_ He chuckled quietly, turning his attention to the room's other occupant.

Beast Boy sat on the couch, two game controllers lying on the coffee table in front of him. But he wasn't even looking at that, too focused on the black and yellow Titan communicator in his hands. "Come on Cy…" Beast Boy grumbled lowly, eyes downcast. "I know you're there, the communicator is literally built into your arm."

Walking up to the couch, he slid in next to the green changeling, frowning. "Give it a rest BB. If he wanted to talk, he would've answered the first time."

Beast Boy sighed, tossing the communicator on the coffee table in frustration. "This sucks." He grumbled, staring at the communicator forlornly.

Danny eyed the despondent youth. While he hadn't been particularly close to the ex-Titan, nor was he close to the green one before him now, he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel the tiniest bit responsible for the situation they were in. It'd been his words, after all, that had pushed the cybernetic teen over the edge. "Cheer up." He said, putting a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "I'm sure he was just irritated over Cinderblock escaping. He'll come around."

Beast Boy gave him a speculative glance. Then, like magic, his face morphed into a cheerful grin. "Yeah!" He said, voice full of false hope. "He'll probably come slinking in any second now." Glancing at Danny, Beast Boy looked down at the game controllers speculatively, then back at him. "Wanna play a few games in the mean time?"

Danny chuckled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. In truth, he did want to. Video games had been a favorite pass time of his, back in Amity. But he'd also never really played with anyone other than Sam and Tucker. "Maybe some other time, hm?"

"Aw, come on!" Beast Boy protested, crossing his arms petulantly. "That's what you always say!"

"And I mean it every time." Danny grinned easily, finding the changeling's antics more than a little amusing. Getting up from the couch, he tossed a lazy wave over his shoulder. "Later."

"And just where are you going?" Beast Boy questioned, still a little peeved at getting blown off.

Danny turned to glance at the green-haired teen, one foot in the elevator. "Just out." He said with a shrug. "If Robin asks, tell him I went on a walk through the city." He said as an explanation. Stepping into the elevator, he allowed the doors to close behind him before any more questions could be asked.

* * *

Stepping out into the California air, Danny breathed deeply. While it was certainly a change from Amity, Danny found that he quite liked it. There was a certain air of energy, of excitement. People, all over the place moving this way and that. Danny was raised in a small town and while he'd forever claim to be most at home in places like that, he couldn't deny the appeal of a big city. There was a certain comfort, he mused, in being hidden in a crowd.

Letting his feet carry him wherever they may, Danny glanced about curiously. Back in Amity, the appearance of Phantom was met with crowds of adoring fans, people taking photos and being an all-around pain. But here? He got curious looks and the occasional nod of acknowledgement but that was it. People's eyes were certainly on him, but they weren't mobbing him. If anything, they seemed to give him a respectful amount of space. _'Guess Orpheus just isn't as popular as Phantom is.'_ The thought made him grin in amusement.

Turning the corner, he let his thoughts wander aimlessly as he strolled. Before all this, he would've felt a whole lot more cautious about the eyes that he felt on him. Now that wasn't the case. In the eyes of the public he was Orpheus now and while it would certainly be an ordeal maintaining that illusion, he was confident that it protected him for now.

It was at this moment that a shiver ran down his spine and a cold blue mist escaped his lips. Danny cursed vehemently, ignoring the look a nearby mother gave him as she covered her son's ears. Closing his eyes, he focused on that feeling, that cold chill. It was a trick he'd learned, while training with his ice powers. If he focused, he could use his ghost sense to find whatever set it off. He could also use it to get a sense of how powerful the ghost in question was. He tried not to think too hard on if he'd always been capable of that, or what it meant for him now that there was a ghost in Jump City.

' _Please let it be a false alarm.'_ He prayed silently. If there was ghost in Jump, the GIW wouldn't be far behind. Not to mention in his current state, limited to human form and without any ghost hunting gear, even an ectopuss would be a pain to take down alone.

' _Found… you?'_ Danny frowned inwardly. The presence, whatever it was that had set off his ghost sense, not only felt almost as powerful as he was but it was also different. It was both oddly familiar and powerful, but also muffled. Contained, in a way that was hard to identify at this range. It made him feel a surge of hope that whatever it was hadn't popped up on the GIW's long range ghost scanners, but that was quickly contained. Whatever this entity was, it felt too strong for him to simply let it go unchallenged.

Briefly, his hand came to rest on the Titan communicator in his pocket as he considered calling for backup, though he quickly reconsidered it. It was his hope that he could keep all things spectral and ghostly at an arm's length from his team, more for necessity than anything else.

Moving to the other side of the street at a calm pace, he allowed himself to flicker into invisibility as he darted down a side alley. The presence, whatever it was, was located on the roof of the building right in front of him. Holding onto his invisibility like a protective cloak, he crouched before suddenly leaping upward. The wind tore at his limbs, threatening to tear away at his hood, but he endured. His jump had him clearing the building easily, and he landed lightly on the roof.

Looking about, his eyes showed him an empty roof. But he knew better. Fading back into the visible spectrum, he called out. "Come out!"

While he didn't receive a verbal response, he did hear the ever-faint sound of shoes against concrete as whoever it was turned to face him. Though they remained invisible, between the sound and his own ghost sense he was able to more accurately determine where they were. Pointing his fist at them, he allowed his hand to be lit up with green energy as he spoke again. "I know you're there." He warned, frowning. "Last warning. Show yourself."

"Heh." Danny was surprised at the distinctly feminine voice that answered him, colored with amusement. There were decidedly more male ghosts than female, after all. It was also strangely familiar. "Should've known there'd be no hiding from you, eh cousin?"

* * *

 **Originally, I continued onward from this point. But from here there is quite a bit of information revealed in a conversation between Danny and the entity he just met in the above scene. (I think we all know who that is, yeah?)**

 **Good news is, you finally get the full story as to what happened to leave Danny alone, an orphan, and on the run. Among other things.**

 **Bad news, it's a bit of an info dump. And I kinda feel like doing it differently would reveal too much too soon, so… I'll try to make it as painless as I can.**

 **I'll probably write the rest of it like it is and make it somewhat of a standalone chapter. Yes, it is a long conversation. 3,072 words long at this point.**

 **Such info, much wow.**

 **Now, go leave me something interesting to read in the reviews!**


	6. Between Two Halfas

**Remember how last chapter I said you'd get the full story in this one? Yeah, there was a bit of a change in plans… You'll see what I mean.**

* * *

 **Between Two Halfas**

With those words, a figure slowly faded into view. The first thing he noticed that whoever it was, they were decidedly female, and quite attractive at that. With curves in all the right places, the words "bombshell beauty" came to mind. Whoever they were, they were dressed simply in worn-out sneakers, faded blue jeans, and a black hoody. He watched as they slowly reached up and tossed back the hoody, revealing their face.

Whoever it was, they were quite beautiful. With pale skin, slight and soft pink lips, and long hair as black as his own pulled back in pony tail save for a few locks that framed her face. Haunting blue eyes that decidedly reminded him of his own staring at him with a strange mixture of amusement and… relief?

"What's wrong Danny?" Pink lips formed a teasing smile as she put a hand on her hip. "Don't recognize your little cousin Dani anymore?" She asked in a faux sad voice, pouting cutely.

"Wha… I…" Danny tried his best to keep his emotions contained, not trusting himself. The last time he'd seen Dani had been a very long time ago, way back before he'd been captured. Before facing his future, evil self even. It was when she'd come to him, seeking help to get herself stabilized. Even so, she'd been physically much younger then. Yet to go through puberty even. And in no way was that long enough ago for that little girl to turn into the girl in front of him, who for all he knew could be as old as he was.

Not trusting his eyes, Danny closed his eyes. He focused on his ghost sense, feeling the ectoplasmic energy that the girl in front of him gave off. He studied it, then turned his gaze inward to study his own.

They were the same.

She wasn't as powerful as he was, but the feel of the energy, the way that they both felt muffled to his senses were the same. There was no denying that the girl in front of him was a halfa like himself, but with an energy almost identical to his own there was no denying which halfa she was.

He'd be up late tonight, pondering just when he'd become capable of sensing half-ghosts. Thinking about what it meant, for him to acquire an ability he'd only seen once before from his future evil self. But that wasn't important to him now.

"Dani?" He whispered, relief flooding through him. For as long as he'd been on the run, he hadn't seen hide or hair of his young female clone and had come to fear the worst. That she was before him now, safe and unharmed was a great burden off his chest. "How?"

Dani raised an eyebrow. "You mean how did I find you?" Grinning mischievously, she raised her hands and grabbed her own chest in a way that he couldn't help but notice. "Or how is it I came to have these babies?"

"Both." He replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He glanced around speculatively, frowning. "Though maybe this is a talk we should have in a more private setting?" He suggested.

Dani nodded in agreement. "My hotel room isn't far. Come on."

* * *

Glancing about the place, Danny frowned. They'd arrived at her hotel, a run-down little joint near the outskirts of town, and phased into her room from the roof. It was rather small, with a bed in one corner with a small dresser with a lamp beside it, a minifridge in the other, and a door that Danny assumed lead off to the bathroom. In the center of the room was a small wooden table with two chairs. The whole place was rather dingy, with stains and the carpet and various spots on the walls. "This place is…"

"A shithole?" Dani suggested, rolling her eyes. "I know. But on the upside, it's places like this where the staff don't see anything and the owner has a horrible memory and sketchy records." She said, shrugging. Taking a seat at the table, she gestured for him to take the other one.

But he didn't. Pulling down his hood and sliding his goggles down to rest around his neck, he wasted no time walking right up to the female halfa and pulling her into a tight hug. "You've no idea how good it is to see you Dani." He murmured, words slightly muffled by the crook of her neck.

"Geez, you were nowhere near this cuddly last time we met." Dani joked teasingly. But he felt her arms wrap around him all the same, just as tight as his were. "It's good to see you too." She replied in a softer tone.

Danny released her after a moment, taking the seat she'd offered him. "So, what led you to me?" He questioned curiously. While he was unbelievably happy to see her, the thought had occurred to him on the trip over that if she was able to find him, who's to say the GIW wouldn't as well?

"Vlad, believe it or not. Though I don't think he meant to." Dani shrugged. "After that it wa-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Danny interrupted, frowning. " _Vlad_ led you to me?" He questioned, incredulous. "As in, crazy fruitloop that was obsessed with marrying my mom Vlad?"

"Who was also obsessed with having the perfect half ghost son and created me as a result of that, yep." Dani replied, nodding. "He threw you and your new team a fundraiser a little while back." She cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "It was in the news. You really didn't know that?"

"No, I had no clue." Danny shook his head. "What with everything else I've been dealing with, I honestly haven't thought about Vlad in a long time." He confessed, feeling sheepish. "What's he been up to?" He asked, straightening up.

"Honestly? Not much, as far as I can tell." Dani admitted, looking displeased. "He's become a bit of recluse these days. Rarely does anything, barely even shows up in public at all." She pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "At least, that was until he suddenly got in front of a camera and announced a fundraiser for Teen Titans of Jump City. Hasn't done anything since though." She shrugged. "It smelled fishy to me, so I decided I'd come out here and check you guys out. Although I didn't know it was you until we were both on that roof and you told me to come out."

"How'd you know it was me then?" Danny questioned, raising an eyebrow. "My voice?"

"Between that and my ghost sense, yeah." Dani confirmed, glancing at the window. "I honestly just got here really, was in the middle of scoping out the city when I spotted you."

"Well I'm glad you did." Danny met her eyes, smiling. Dani just rolled her eyes, but she grinned all the same. "How have you been? And why do you look so…" He trailed off, unsure of how to phrase it.

Dani just rolled her eyes again. "… so not like a little girl anymore?" She questioned, receiving a nod from Danny. "Honestly? I'm not sure." At the look Danny shot her at that, she clarified. "I mean, a couple of months ago I got really hungry. Nearly ate a restaurant out of business when I suddenly got really tired. Made it back to my hotel room at the time, locked the door, and collapsed on the bed." She rubbed the back of her head, looking sheepish. "When I woke up, I was thirsty, sore all over, had a headache, my clothes were in tatters, and suddenly I had tits."

Danny just stared. "So, what you're telling me is you basically took a power nap and woke up looking like you do now?" Dani nodded. "…and that didn't disturb you at all?"

"Of course it did, but what the hell was I supposed to do?" Dani asked defensively, childishly crossing her arms over her chest. "By then I'd already went back to Amity months before to ask why guys in white suits showed up whenever I transformed to find FentonWorks in ruins and you, the rest of the Fenton's, plus Sam and Tucker gone with nobody knowing where you any of you disappeared off to." She shifted her eyes to the side. "I went after the fruitloop after that. Figured if anyone knew what was going on, he did. But he just sits in his mansion all day." She shifted her eyes back to him. "While I was doing that, this happened." She shrugged helplessly. "My only option at that point for finding out just what the hell happened to me was the fruitloop and no way in hell was I about to let that creep anywhere near my body."

"Not anymore it isn't." Danny declared, meeting her eyes. "I'll need some time to get the equipment together, but I promise I'll try and figure it out."

Dani smiled, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. "No offense, but since when are you a scientist?"

"Since a few months ago, I guess." Danny shrugged. "I was hiding out in a college library. Got bored and picked up a book. It all just came to me so easily, I picked up another and before I even realized it I could follow lectures on advanced mechanics, chemistry, biochemistry, advanced microbiology, theoretical physics, programing…. Honestly I'm wondering now why I ever had trouble in school." Danny grinned sheepishly. "It took me awhile, but apparently I inherited my parent's genius without ever really realizing it." He nodded confidently. "So yeah, I'm pretty confident I can figure out what happened, check you over and make sure you are alright."

Dani blushed, looking down. "Honestly, I appreciate it but don't worry about it. I don't want to be a both-"

"Dani." Danny interrupted, reaching across the table to put a hand on her shoulder. "You are family. The only family I have left, coincidentally." Moving his hand, he put under her chin, lifting her head up so he could meet her eyes. "Believe me when I say, there is literally nothing more important to me in this world than you."

Tears collected in her blue eyes, but she smiled as they fell. Taking off one of his gloves, he gently wiped them away. "What happened?" She murmured in a low voice, sounding for all the world like a scared little girl. It was a sobering reminder that, despite her appearance, mentally she was still very young. "I went back to Amity and you weren't there…" She shook her head. "You weren't there, and now each time I go ghost those guys show up and they try and capture me." She shivered, drawing in on herself. "Last time they nearly caught me…"

"Listen to me closely Dani." Danny murmured, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Whatever you do, you can't go ghost anymore. You can't give them _any_ chances to capture you. Believe me, if they do…" Danny swallowed, throat closing up as he suddenly found it hard to speak.

"They caught you… didn't they?"

It was an innocence question, spoken in a low and fearful tone. Even so, Danny found it almost impossible to speak. He nodded slowly, looking away. Memories better left buried started rising to the surface and suddenly he wasn't in that hotel room anymore.

He was back _there_. With them.

Distantly, he heard Dani's voice calling out to him. With a titanic effort, he forced himself out of his own head. Back to the present. Back to Jump City. Back to Dani.

He shook his head, refocusing himself back on his very concerned female clone. She was asking him a question, but for the life of him he just couldn't seem to hear it. He felt her hand on his, and he focused on it. Head clearing, he managed to clear it enough to hear the question this time around.

"What did they do to you?"

Danny met her eyes, swallowing thickly. Clearing his throat, he tried his best to keep his face and voice clear of emotion lest he scare her more. "Nothing good."

Closing his eyes, Danny took a moment to breath. He put all his focus on her hand on his, bringing his hands forward to hold hers between his. It was so warm and soft and _alive_ and felt undeniably delicate and small when compared to his own. And ever so slowly, he could breathe again.

At some point, Dani had moved them both to the bed. He ignored that, instead focusing on the feeling of her hand in his and the sound of her breathing next to him. He focused on both of these things, letting them anchor him in the present. Ever so slowly, he began to speak.

"It was actually good for a while." He muttered, unable to keep a certain darkness out of his voice. He snorted. "Looking back, I can't help but wonder if there was some sign during that period that I missed. Something I didn't see, some mistake I made." He shook his head. "Or maybe my mistake was thinking I deserved a happy ending."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dani frowning in disagreement, though to her credit she didn't interrupt.

"To put a long story short, some things happened, and I ended up fighting myself twenty years in the future. He was…" Danny shook his head. " _Powerful_. Easily the most difficult foe I've ever faced. He was also evil and twisted in ways I still can't imagine. But I won." Danny cracked a smile at that, but it was hollow. "I managed to pull a power I wasn't supposed to have yet directly out of my ass, got in a lucky hit, and managed to suck him in a thermos." Danny cocked his head to the side, contemplative. "Maybe that was the sign? Getting that lucky?"

When he didn't speak again, Dani nudged him softly. "What happened next?"

"In the process of beating my evil future self, my parents, Jazz, and Mr. Lancer all found out that I was a halfa. That me and Phantom were one and the same." Danny chuckled dryly. "But of course, Jazz already knew." He smiled, and in this one Dani could see a hint of something genuine. "My parents accepted me for what I was. Hell, not only did they support it, but they started doing their best to help me."

"My mom started teaching martial arts to help with my ghost hunting and my dad started making inventions for the express purpose of helping me. My sister…" He shook his head, grinning ruefully. "She tried pitching in, but the only ghost she ever caught was me. Eventually I managed to talk her into just helping Sam and Tucker cover for me whenever I needed to go ghost." He snorted suddenly. "Hell, even Mr. Lancer started helping out as best he could. Started covering for me with the school and began giving me one on one private tutoring lessons to keep me caught up with my school work. Out of all of them, I think he took the biggest risk. He let me retake tests when he wasn't supposed to, gave me more time with assignments…"

Danny glanced at Dani, seeing the confused look she was giving him. "He was one of my teachers at Casper High."

"Ah."

"Yeah." Danny nodded. "He was a decent guy. Overworked, underpaid, but he cared about his students. It's why he was always on my case. Saw me slipping through the cracks. Didn't want to let it happen." Danny looked up, letting his grip on Dani's hand tighten as tears escaped his eyes. "… He didn't deserve what he got."

Dani rubbed his back soothingly. He focused his attention back on her breathing. She was right next to him, close enough that he could almost feel her breath on his ear. It was odd how such a simple, quiet, everyday noise could be so comforting, so grounding, but Danny didn't dare question it.

"What happened next?"

Danny opened his eyes, meeting Dani's gaze for the first time since he'd started his story. "The Guys In White happened." He growled, a dark anger seeping into his voice like a poison. "They ambushed me outside the school when I was leaving a tutoring session. I never saw it coming." He shook his head. "The only thing I have worked out right now is that they've got a benefactor, someone who not only told them that I'm Phantom, but told them where I'd be and when I'd be there, and gave them the tech to not only put me down _hard_ but also to track me down if I escaped and used my ghost form." He looked at her meaningfully. "The same tech that'll find you too, if you go ghost."

"And it's not Vlad." He added, cutting her off before she could even start. "If it was Vlad, he would've shown up at some point to gloat. He wouldn't have let the possibility be there that my mom and sister would end up dead. Not to mention…" A twisted, macabre facsimile of a smile formed on his face, and Dani felt a chill go down her spine at the sight. "Not to mention I honestly feel like if Vlad was pulling the strings that the GIW would've been more… tame." He chuckled darkly. "For all his faults, Vlad at least sees me as a person. The GIW on the other hand…"

He shook his head, and Dani felt relieved when that smile faded. "But back to the ambush. Calling it a fight would honestly be giving myself too much credit." Anger seeped into his voice again. "I was put down and in a containment module before I could so much as blink. Sam saw it happen and they just threw her in with me when she tried to do something. Lancer saw it happen too, but well…" He shook his head, sounding defeated. In a low voice, he spoke. "…I'll always wonder why they captured Sam, but not Lancer." He glanced toward the window, falling silent for a minute.

"Later," He began, then stopped and swallowed hard when his throat started to close up. "Later I'd find out that Lancer survived long enough to talk to Tucker when he came looking for me and Sam when we didn't show up for the horror movie marathon we were planning. He told them that me and Sam had been captured. And he… left a message with Tuck to give to me."

He laughed hollowly, looking pained. "Guess what? He didn't blame me. Said I was a good kid."

"You were close." Dani murmured, eliciting a nod from her biological father.

"Funny thing is I didn't even want to go to those tutoring sessions." Danny chuckled, remembering long hours after school with the balding teacher. "But Lancer made the offer for them where my parents could hear, and there was no saying no then." He shook his head. "Looking back, I'm sure that's exactly why he did it like that."

"Probably was." Agreed Dani, then she cocked her head to the side. "What was he like?"

"He was… not at all like he appeared." Danny snorted. "Truth be told, I didn't really think much of him before that." He closed his eyes, recalling one of the many conversations he'd had with the man. "Heh, I remember at the end of the first session I had with him, I asked him why it seemed like he was so much harder on me than he was anyone else. Turns out it's because he was."

Dani frowned. "That doesn't seem fair."

Danny just shook his head. "He said he was hard on me because he knew that I was a bright kid. Didn't want me to just 'get by' when he thought I was capable of more."

"Still not right."

"I, myself, am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions." Danny shrugged, denying nothing. "Augusten Burroughs."

Dani snorted, amused. "Since when do you do quotes?"

"Just a habit I picked up on the run." Danny just shrugged again. "You can only read science books so much, even if you do understand it all." He said by way of an explanation. Then he grinned. "At least I don't use book titles as exclamations."

Dani was confused. "Huh?"

Danny just waved it off, laughing softly. "Long story." His expression darkened. "Now, where was I?"

* * *

By the time he'd finished telling Dani the story as to what all had happened, the sun had set well into the sky. He was exhausted emotionally and physically. Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he grimaced. _'Can't go back to the tower looking like this.'_

He splashed some water on his face, hoping to wipe away some of the more obvious signs of his little freak-out. Mentally he resolved to stop by somewhere and grab some eyedrops to take care of his red eyes as he exited the bathroom to find Dani on her back lying on the bed.

She rose to a sitting position, crossing her legs as she did so. "So, what now?" She asked, looking at him speculatively.

Danny surveyed the room, frowning at the sight of one particularly unsightly stain on the carpet. "For starters, we're getting you a nicer place to stay." He stated, before glancing at her hesitantly. "Unless you want to stay at the Tower?" With all that had happened and the long time they'd spent apart, he really wanted to keep her closer. She was the only family he had left. And with the GIW hunting them, the Tower was the safest place for her.

"And what, join the Titans?" Dani questioned, raising an eyebrow speculatively.

Danny shifted slightly underneath her gaze. "If you want to…" He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.

Dani hummed in thought. "I'll pass." She said after a moment, nodding to herself.

"Huh?" Danny blinked in surprise. "Any reason why?"

"No offense, but the whole hero thing isn't really _my_ thing." Dani admitted apologetically. "I mean, if I'm there I'll help out but beyond that…" She trailed off, unsure.

"Don't worry about it." Danny waved it off easily. "But you know, you could still stay there. Without, you know, joining the team." He pressed on. "We have plenty of room. Nobody will have a problem with it."

"I'll think about it." Dani replied noncommittally, before giving him a look. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Danny just waved her on. "Shoot."

"Just what are you doing here?" Dani asked. "And I don't mean how you got here." She added, stopping him from interjecting. "I mean, what are you doing here with the Titans?" She pursed her lips, frowning. "I can't make sense of it."

"I guess it's not the best way to hide, huh?" Danny chuckled nervously.

"Actually, as far as hiding goes it's not _that_ bad." Dani admitted. "As long as nobody connects the dots between Orpheus and Phantom, that is." She added. "What I can't figure out is how you are using it to fight back against the GIW."

"Well…" Danny rubbed the back of his head. "That's because…" He trailed off.

Dani affixed him with a flat look. "…seriously?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "No sort of plan what-so-ever?"

"In my defense, the GIW aren't your typical bad guys." Danny leaned against the wall, irritation flashing across his face. "It's not like I can just knock them all out and drop them off at the local police station. Even if I could, that's easier said than done." He grimaced. "They are an officially sanctioned government agency."

"Really?" Dani frowned. "So what, they can just get away with murder?"

"It's complicated." Danny sighed, slumping. "As much as it sickens me to say this, they could argue that they have the right to use deadly force against anyone who proves themselves to be a threat to one of their agents."

"A high school teacher hardly sounds like a threat."

"I'm not arguing with you, Dani." Danny sighed, giving her a tired look. "I was there, remember? Lancer wasn't armed, he wasn't a threat in any way. They could've chosen to disable him nonlethally instead of leaving him bleeding out on the pavement." He shook his head. "They murdered him and the only thing I have to prove that is my word against theirs." He sighed again. "It disgusts me, but I made my peace that they might never see justice for that a long time ago."

Dani didn't say a word. Standing up, she walked over to where Danny was standing. She gave him a long, searching look.

Then she slapped him across the face. _Hard._

"Wha…?" Danny scowled, putting a hand to rubbing at the red-hot handprint on his cheek. "What the hell was that for?!" He growled, eyes flashing green.

"To try and get you to snap out of it!" Dani matched his green-eyed glare easily, her eyes changing to match his own. "Whatever happened to the Danny I knew? The one who saved his city countless times? Who beat Vortex, Undergrowth, Pariah Dark, _Vlad_? The one who never gave up?"

"I haven't given up." He answered coolly. "I've just accepted the cards that are on the table."

"So what, you are just going to let them get away with it? Be a fugitive the rest of your life, constantly looking over your shoulder?"

"Hell no." Danny replied, pushing past her to look out the window. "But right now, there isn't anything I can do."

"Go public with it." Dani replied easily. "They might get away with murder, but that doesn't mean you should let them get away with experimenting on an unwilling subject." She put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look back at her. "Tell your story." She said softly, anger fading.

"To who?" Danny replied, looking back at her. "Who can I trust with this?" He shook his head. "And what good does it do without proof? No." He shook his head again. "All the stories in the world don't mean a thing if I can't prove any of it." He snorted. "Besides, who would listen to a ghost?"

Dani's eyes narrowed. "You aren't just a ghost, Danny."

"To them, I am." He replied coolly. "Them and everyone else, considering they wiped out anything that would confirm the existence of someone named Danny Fenton."

Dani felt a chill run down her spine. "What?"

"They got rid of every single record." He ran a hand through his hair. "Officially, Daniel Jack Fenton never existed."

"Wha… That's just _wrong_!" Dani cried. "They can't just do that!"

Danny shrugged. "Doesn't matter really, does it?" He turned back to looking out the window. "Ghosts are seen as thoughtless, emotionless forces of mass destruction and incredible danger. There are no laws to protect them, no rights. And since they ensured that I can't be seen as anything but a ghost…"

"No laws protect you either." Dani whispered, horror etched all over her features.

"I haven't given up." Danny said, echoing his words from earlier. "But right now, I just don't see what I can do."

Dani had nothing to say to that.

* * *

A loud stomping sound echoed through a darkened corridor deep under Jump City, created by Cinderblock as he walked, carrying a sleeping human floating in green liquid in his capsule slung over his shoulder. Stopping, he opened a chamber in the room. It had a throne sitting in the middle. And sitting on that throne was a man called Slade.

He was oddly dressed, with a mask who's left side was orange with a single black outlined eyehole, while the right is solid black with no eyehole and four parallel holes, two on each side, where his mouth would be. He wore a black body suit that covered his entire body except his lower torso and forearms, which were gray. Black gauntlets adorned his arms, along with gray gloves. Around his waist was a gray utility belt. Armor overlapped his body in the form of a grey neckguard, a guard on both shoulders, forearms, thighs, and soles of his feet.

He tapped his foot impatiently as Cinderblock approached. "Ah, Cinderblock. I trust you were successful?" Cinderblock presented the capsule containing the human as an answer. "Good. Wake him."

Cinderblock twisted the top off of the container and dumped the contents onto the floor, waking him. As he opened his eyes, panic set it. "I'm awake?! I can never be awake! I'm only human when I'm sleeping!"

Slade nodded in ascension. "Yes, but for what I have planned, your human form is too weak. I need Plasmus."

That statement seemed to trigger a reaction as, before his very eyes. His skin bulged and began to purple and slough off. His mouth widened as is teeth disappeared. His eyes turned green and his hair disappeared.

Now, standing before him, was the slime monster, Plasmus. He gave a cold laugh.

"Good, let's begin the next phase."

* * *

 **Little shorter than the rest, but not by much. I confess I've actually had this written for the longest time, since before hurricane Florence hit my area, and have been editing it. Didn't like the original version, so here you have the fifth iteration.**

 **Speaking of the hurricane, hope all you beautiful people came out of it alright.**

 **Just throwing this out there, I know this is late but that new spider-man game is absolutely kick ass. Picked it up and fell in love within seconds of the game handing the controls to me. My only complaint is the bosses were a bit too easy, but that's just the Dark Souls fan in me speaking.**

 **Closing note: To all you cute little guest reviewers, I'm watching ya. If you want to criticize, that's fine. I've even written a little guide as to how you might best do that on my profile. But I won't tolerate blatant negativity from people who couldn't be bothered to sign in. So, please don't waste my time and yours by writing a "review" saying nothing but how much my story sucks. I'll just end up deleting it as soon as I see it. Either sign in so I can respond to you** **directly** **or just don't do it at all.**


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